


Tumblr One-shots and Requests

by AdorabloodthirstyKitty



Category: Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Assassins & Hitmen, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Robots & Androids, Alternate Universe - Rock Band, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Bullying, Historical Fantasy, Language Barrier, M/M, Minor Character Death, Sexual Content, Sexual Tension, Violence, punk!jack
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-26
Updated: 2017-06-05
Packaged: 2018-08-11 02:27:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 53
Words: 51,826
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7872448
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AdorabloodthirstyKitty/pseuds/AdorabloodthirstyKitty
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A collection of requests from the sweet precious babs on tumblr</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Glass Elevator and a Fear of Heights

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> thank you anon for this cute idea!! hope you like it!

Jack sighed as he finally set his bag down in the elevator, Mark stopping beside him as they waited for the doors to close. Jack mentally prepared himself, taking a deep breath as the doors slid shut and the glass elevator began it's ascent to the thirty-second floor.

Jack watched as they made their way up, fiddling with his bracelets nervously as Mark spoke up again, his voice soothing Jack's growing sense of dread as they continued climbing up. Jack stopped looking out the glass doors a few floors up, turning his full attention to Mark to keep from getting too nervous. He silently thanked Mark for trying to keep his focus off of the receding ground floor, the empty space growing between them and the ground. Eventually Jack relaxed, grinning as he and Mark talked about some of the games they'd been playing before the trip, Mark's last livestream with Bob and anything else to keep Jack’s focus away from the view from the elevator.

They were only a few floors from their own floor before the elevator slowed to a stop, both Youtubers turning toward the doors, thinking they'd stopped for someone at a lower floor. The only view was the huge space of the hotel lobby, sunlight filtering in from the windows, the ground floor hundreds of feet below their feet.

"Oh, Jaesus!" Jack barked, knees drawing together as his fists rose to his chest, eyes wide as he looked out at all of the empty space between them and the ground.

Mark was pressing the button for their floor again and again, not looking half as terrified as Jack felt. "Shit. I think we're stuck," Mark murmured, Jack backing into a corner of the elevator as he squeezed his eyes shut, heart racing as he tried not to think about how high up they were. He nearly jumped out of his skin when Mark’s hand rested on his shoulder, eyes flying open to find Mark looking at him with concern, eyes wide in sympathy.

"It's alright, Jack. I'm right here, we'll be alright. The hotel will have this thing moving again in no time. Just breathe," he murmured, gaze holding Jack's as he rubbed the Irishman's arm soothingly, Jack's breathing slowly evening out as he matched Mark’s steady breathing.

"Just had to be a glass elevator, huh?" Jack joked half-heartedly, Mark smiling sympathetically as he continued rubbing his shoulder.

"Don't worry, these things usually start moving again within minutes. Just keep your eyes on me."

Jack nodded firmly, swallowing past the tightness of his throat, fists still clenched at his sides as Mark spoke in a low, soothing tone, keeping Jack’s attention with dumb jokes and stories that had Jack laughing, the tension and fear slowly slipping away again as Mark laughed with him. Jack had no idea how long they stayed there, trapped hundreds of feet from the ground, but sometime near the end of Mark's story about Chica's first trip to the Grump Space the elevator shook slightly, Jack's heart jumping into his throat before the glass box began moving up again, Mark's wide eyes and worried frown disappearing with a relieved sigh and a smile.

"See? Almost there," Mark grinned, Jack's own smile stretching across his face as relief washed over him in a huge wave.

Soon they stopped at their floor, Jack hurrying onto the solid, carpeted floor of the hall, chest heaving with a deep sigh as he pressed his back against the opposite wall of the hall. Mark grabbed their bags and hurried to Jack’s side, setting the bags down to pull Jack into a tight hug. Jack clung back gratefully, legs still shaking as he breathed, Mark rubbing his back as Jack slowly calmed down.

They stood there for several minutes until Jack finally calmed down enough to be led to their room. He leaned heavily against Mark’s side as they walked to their room, Mark shouldering the door open and helping Jack to the bed, letting him flop onto the soft comforter heavily as Mark went to close the door and set the bags down. Soon Mark hurried back to him, crawling onto the bed beside him to wrap him up in another hug.

"You okay?" he asked after a few more minutes of silent cuddling, Jack's hands still holding Mark’s arms in a tight grip. He nodded his head absently, shutting his eyes and taking a deep breath. Mark rubbed his back again, kissing his forehead lightly before pulling back enough to meet the Irishman's gaze.

"You sure?"

Jack nodded, giving a small smile to reassure the other.

"Yeah, I'm sure. I'm kinda worn out from the whole thing, though," he replied, Mark's hand still rubbing soothing circles over his shoulder blade and spine.

"We don't have to go anywhere. We'll order food and sit in for the rest of the night, okay?"

Jack nodded, smiling gratefully. "That sounds amazing."

Mark grinned, relieved that Jack was feeling better. "Awesome. You pick a movie or something on tv and I'll call in the food," Mark replied, finally pulling away with another quick kiss, Jack spouting off his order happily as he moved to sit against the headboard, grabbing the remote and searching for anything good while Mark ordered their dinner.

Soon Mark settled back beside Jack, arm snaking around his shoulders to cuddle him close, both men enjoying the comfort of being with the other, safe and sound, as they settled in to watch a movie.


	2. Jammin

Mark was practically shaking as he grabbed a jacket and floofed his hair, still bright from the recent recoloring. Tonight was the night he'd finally be seeing his favorite band live, and as he hurried to his car to drive the couple hours to get to the venue he was grinning ear to ear, singing along to their cd that had been playing in the car for months now. It was a long drive with a lot of traffic, but it was well worth it when he finally pulled up to the building, parking on the side and heading to the line to wait. He stayed silent as he put his headphones in, waiting for the doors to open as he texted Dan, who had mentioned bringing the Grumps to the show. He kept his attention on his phone and the doors, heading in to get patted down before the others even made it to the building.

He had just gone through security and was getting his ticket checked when his phone buzzed in his pocket, a message from Suzy waiting in his notifications.

_Suzy: Hey Mark! We just got to the parking lot, save us a spot!!_

Mark grinned, telling her he'd be waiting near the entrance for them before pocketing his phone again, searching for a mass of dark curls or any sign of his friends. Soon Dan, Arin, Suzy, and Barry were getting patted down a few feet away, Dan waving excitedly as Mark grinned and waved back. As soon as he was patted down and his ticket was stamped Dan came barreling over to Mark, wrapping his arms around him in a huge hug.

"Hey Mark! Ready to rock out?" he grinned, Arin, Suzy, and Barry soon catching up with smiles and hugs of their own.

"Yeah! I've been waiting for this show all year, this is gonna be amazing," Mark grinned, the others all agreeing before the group went through the doors into the venue, the crowd already slowly starting to form at the pit and take their seats further back. Mark was so thankful they'd been able to get front row spots, grinning widely as he babbled to Barry and Suzy about how excited he was for the show.

"Yeah, we've been to a couple shows already. Did Arin tell you he knows Jack?"

Mark's head whipped around so fast he was sure he gave himself whiplash, eyes wide as he grabbed Arin by the arm.

"What? You know Jack McLoughlin?!"

Arin, who had been near the front of the group, cutting through the crowd to get to their spots, almost tripped as Mark tugged on his arm.

"Yeah, Dan introduced me. He met him way back, when he'd just gotten out of high school. That was before he had his hair dyed, wasn’t it, Dan?" Arin asked, turning to Dan, who led the group.

"Well technically he had his hair dyed back then, but it was pink. Then he cut it off, grew it out again, and went green," Dan replied casually, as if knowing a famous drummer from an amazing band was an everyday occurrence. Mark sputtered, hands raised as he tried to figure out why they had never mentioned this to him before.

"How did you meet him? How long have you known him? Why didn't you tell me this??" Mark asked, hurrying to catch up to Dan as he stopped right at the barrier barring the crowd from the stage.

"We met online a few years ago. We liked the same kind of music, exchanged emails, and we've been friends ever since. I'd actually considered asking him to drum for NSP but he was already with these guys, and they were still in Ireland. I didn't want to make him choose between his own band and mine," Dan shrugged, Mark's eyes wide as Dan continued.

"He said he'd love to play with us sometime though, like jamming or something. We were actually gonna try to steal him after the show for a few hours so we could over at the Grump Space," Dan went on, Mark almost choking on his spit at the information.

"How the hell have you known my favorite drummer for YEARS and never told me?!" Mark yelled over the growing noise of the crowd behind them, Dan looking puzzled as he turned back to Mark.

"We never told you that? I thought we had," he asked, Mark slapping his arm lightly.

"I think I would remember my best friends telling me they knew my favorite drummer!"

"Shit, sorry man. But this makes our little surprise even better now! You'll be able to hang out with us and Jack!" Dan grinned, Mark's stomach swooping at the idea, swallowing hard as he felt warmth tint his cheeks. Suzy immediately noticed his change in demeanor, grinning slyly as she stepped up beside him.

"Ooh, does our Markimoo have a crush?" she grinned, Mark’s face going even darker.

"No! Shut up!"

The others laughed, Mark sputtering and failing to deny the accusation no matter how hard he tried.

Eventually the Grumps settled down, quieting down as the room slowly dimmed, the crowd behind them screaming and cheering excitedly. The Grumps yelled along with everyone else, Mark gripping the cool metal of the barrier in front of him as he stared up at the stage, waiting for any signs of the band on the dark stage, the only light the occasional flash of a camera from the crowd.

And then he saw him.

Bright green hair, drumsticks in hand, Jack walked to his drumset at the back of the stage, dozens of camera flashes going off as he grinned and waved at the audience screaming all around. Mark just barely caught sight of his smile as a camera flashed, his heart thumping hard against his chest at the sight before the stage went dark again, the other band members making their way onstage.

As soon as the singer hopped onstage the lights flashed back on, the opening drumbeat and low bass sending the crowd into a frenzy as the show started. But all throughout the show Mark's eyes were firmly set on Jack, beating the drums with fervor, flashing a giddy smile every chance he got as the band played.

-

Mark’s feet were sore and his voice was almost gone from singing along to every song, but it was more than worth it as the Grumps headed toward the side of the stage as the crowd dispersed, talking to the bouncers. Mark stayed near the back of the group with Barry, Arin, Dan, and Suzy trying to get the group backstage even though none of them had passes. Needless to say, it wasn't going well.

"Come on, please? We just wanted to ask Jack to chill for a couple hours."

"Just bring him out here, he'll vouch for us!"

"No admittance without a backstage pass, guys. If you wanna see them go the signing."

Arin groaned, Dan sighing as they finally turned around and left, heading for the signing at the other end of the venue. Mark was more than happy to walk the extra couple hundred feet to the signing table out front, a huge line already waiting for signatures and pictures with the band. Arin and Dan stood beside the line near the front, yelling to Jack from behind the barrier.

"Jack!"

"Jack, over here!"

It took a while for the drummer to finally hear them amongst the rest of the yelling, but when he did his face brightened with the force of his smile, standing and motioning them over. He called one of the security staff over, pointing out the group to be let in, Mark following the Grumps past the line to stand behind the table with Jack, who grinned as he brought Arin, Danny, and Suzy into tight hugs.

"Hey guys! I was hopin I'd see yeh!"

Mark stood back, giving the Grumps their time with their friend, feeling incredibly nervous being so close to his favorite band and favorite drummer and crush. As soon as Danny had pulled back from Jack’s hug he motioned toward Barry and Mark with a grin and a flourish, the Irishman's ice blue eyes freezing Mark in place as he turned his gaze toward them.

"This is Barry and Mark, they're both pretty big fans. Mark here was gushing about you guys the whole time we waited for the show to start," Danny grinned, Jack's smile stretching even further across his face.

"Really? Thank yeh, Mark! I'm so happy you like our stuff!" Jack grinned, leaning forward to shake Mark's hand firmly. Mark shook back dazedly, unable to form words as he simply nodded.

"We were actually hoping we could sneak you away after this. You owe me a jam session, McLoughlin!" Danny grinned, Jack chuckling good-naturedly with a nod.

"That sounds awesome, I'd love to. You're gonna have to give me a lift, though."

"Mark can do it! Our car's a little crowded, I'm sure he'd be happy to drive you," Suzy interjected, sending Mark a grin as he tried to hide the panicked expression threatening to cross his face. Jack turned back to Mark with a smile and Mark knew he couldn’t say no even if he wanted to.

"Yeah, of course. I have plenty of room," he managed to get out, Jack's grin dazzling as he beamed back.

"Well thank yeh, Mark. I really appreciate it. Here, lemme give yeh my number, I'll text you when I'm done here," he smiled, Mark having to keep from squealing or any other embarrassing reaction as he fished his phone out of his pocket, handing it to Jack with slightly shaking hands.

Soon Jack handed his phone with a smile that made Mark’s heart flutter, Jack pulling out his own phone to save Mark's contact while he recited his number from memory. Soon they bid their goodbyes, Jack promising he'd text Mark as soon as he was done before going back to signing, Mark and the Grumps heading outside to kill time while they waited for Jack.

Dan, Arin, and Barry walked ahead as they circled the block, Suzy walking beside Mark and grinning at him as she spoke quietly.

"You can thank me for getting you alone time with Jack later," she grinned, Mark frowning as she giggled.

"I'm gonna make a fool of myself! I could barely talk to him earlier, how am I supposed to sit with him for two hours while we drive to the Grump Space?" he replied frantically, waving his hands as Suzy smiled sympathetically.

"He's just another person, Mark. You don't have to impress him or act any differently, just be yourself!"

Mark groaned into his hand, Suzy rubbing his shoulder as they turned a corner, getting close to finishing the loop around the block.

"Seriously, he's super cool when you get to know him, he's a sweet Irish nerd and I wouldn't have told him to go with you if I didn't think you guys would hit it off. Just try to keep a level head, he'll love you," she grinned, easing some of Mark’s anxiety as they continued circling the block, stopping to catch pokemon every once in a while before finally making it back to the signing booth almost an hour later.

The signing was drawing to a close, the line significantly smaller as Mark and the Grumps waited off to the side, letting the band finish before pulling Jack along toward the car. Barry was filming for a vlog, phone pointed toward Danny and Jack, who were talking animatedly about the concert, Danny pulling Mark in to talk too. He tried to ignore being so close to Jack, gushing about the concert with a wide smile, his voice a bit raspy from all the yelling and singing he'd been doing throughout the show. He didn't notice Jack’s fond smile as Mark slowly got more comfortable, laughing and joking with the Grumps and even with Jack every now and then as they made their way to their cars, the group splitting up to head to the Grump Space in two separate cars.

-

At first Mark had been nervous with Jack McLoughlin sitting in his car, but after about an hour of air drum solos and video game discussions Mark had relaxed a lot more than he thought he would, both men going on about some of their favorite games while they sat in LA traffic.

Eventually they got to the Grump Space, Jack recounting a story from school that had given him the nickname 'Jacksepticeye'. They headed into the Grump Space, heading for the large recording room with the famous Grump Couch where Dan, Arin, Suzy, and Barry were already waiting, grinning and shouting as Mark and Jack stepped in. Dan pulled himself from between Arin and Barry, hugging them both before leading them toward the mics, where they'd already set up a game of Mario Party. They paused the game, Arin pulling out a small electronic drum set from the corner of the room, patting the seat for Jack to sit. He grinned and headed over, plopping down on the seat as they started moving furniture and pulling out instruments, Mark, Suzy, and Barry sitting on the couch as the other three set up and got ready.

Suzy and Mark pulled out their phones, recording Dan and Arin as they talked to Jack idly from behind their own instruments, Jack clacking his drumsticks above his head before starting the beat, the three soon grinning as they played a Ninja Sex Party song, Barry, Suzy, and Mark grinning and cheering as the three men played with wide smiles.

They jammed for half an hour at least, going from covers of rock and metal bands to Ninja Sex Party and Starbomb songs, everyone having an amazing time as the three played. Eventually they ended the session, their three-person crowd cheering exuberantly, some of the other Grumps popping in to clap and cheer along after coming in to investigate the noise.

After setting the instruments aside and bowing exaggeratedly for their audience Arin, Dan, and Jack plopped back on the couch, Mark's face flushing slightly when Jack wedged himself beside him, their arms and thighs pressed together as all of the Grumps settled on the couch around them. They spent the next couple hours playing Mario Party, Mark unable to stop grinning and laughing as he joked and played with the Grumps and Jack.

By the end of the night Dan, Arin, and Suzy stood to drive Jack back to his hotel, the drummer thanking them and everyone else for such a fun night. Mark followed close behind, a bit disappointed that Jack was leaving. He walked with them out toward their cars, hugging the Grumps before turning to Jack with a smile.

"It was so awesome to meet you, Jack."

The Irishman grinned, smile slightly crooked, blue eyes bright even in the dark of night.

"It was nice meetin yeh too, Mark. Would you mind if I kept your number so I could text yeh sometime? I'd love to stay in touch."

Mark felt heat flood his cheeks, nodding quickly as a dopey grin spread across his face.

"Of course!"

Jack grinned even wider, looking almost relieved.

"Awesome. I'll talk to yeh later then?" he asked, his smile a bit smaller, almost shy.

"Definitely," he grinned, smile so wide it was making his face ache. Jack’s smile grew, Mark freezing in place as the drummer leaned forward and enveloped him in the best hug he'd ever received.

"Alright. G'night, Mark, talk to yeh later."

"Talk to you later, Jack," he grinned, waving to him and the Grumps as they headed for their car, Mark heading to his with a huge smile and a racing heart.


	3. Okay, Google

Jack was editing a video when his Skype lights up with a new message, surprised to see that it's from Matthias. He isn't as close to Matthias as he is to other Youtubers, but he he opens the message anyway, saving his progress on his latest Let’s Play recording as he reads over the new message.

_Matthias: Hey Jack! Amanda and I were getting rid of some stuff while we get the baby stuff situated and I have something I need help getting rid of. Google sent me a Google IRL a few months back and no one seems to know what to do with these things. I wanted to send it back to Google but every time I try they tell me I'm sending it to the wrong department or that they don't take returns. I'm not asking you to take it off my hands or anything, I just feel bad not having a place for him! Anyway, if you have any idea what to do I'd really appreciate it. Thanks again Jack!_

Jack’s eyes widen as he reads the message, surprised that Matthias would ask him of all people what to do. Matthias was the only person Jack knew of who had a Google IRL, and Jack had always secretly wished that Google would send him a version sometime in the future. His mind raced, fingers hovering over the keyboard before finally replying.

_Hey Matthias! I don't know how you'd be able to send it back but I'd love to take it off your hands if you don't want it anymore!!_

Jack was surprised by how quickly Matthias responded, his Skype lighting up with a reply a minute or so later.

_You really don't have to, Jack! He can be a bit of a handful, and he's pretty glitchy. I wouldn't want you to have to deal with him._

_Really, it's no trouble! I've always wanted one, we'll kill two birds with one stone!_

There was a pause between Jack’s response and Matthias', his response finally popping up a couple minutes later.

_I really don't know if I want you to take him in, man. He doesn't seem to handle tasks well, and he’s kind of.. unnerving? It takes a lot of getting used to. I don’t want you to have to deal with it if you don't have to._

_Matt, I'm sure it's not that bad. Let me take him off your hands. If I don't like having him around I'll find a way to send him back to Google._

There was another pause, Jack's foot tapping anxiously as he waited for Matthias to respond.

_Alright. But if you have any problems just shut him off and send him away, I don't want you to have to deal with a glitchy robot!_

Jack grinned widely, spinning in his chair as he did an excited dance in his seat.

_I will! Thanks so much, Matthias!_

Jack grinned the rest of the night and into the morning, sending Matthias his address so he could send the robot to his house sometime within the next couple weeks. Jack thanked him again before going back to finish editing, rendering his video before heading to bed for a couple hours, eager for the arrival of his new robot.

-

A week and a half later the mailman handed Jack a box with Google's logo on the side, the Irishman grinning widely as he carried it and the rest of his mail inside, eager to open it. He was surprised by how small the box was, easily able to fit under his arms as he opened the front door and shut it again, dropping the rest of the mail on the kitchen table before taking the box to the living room. He sat down on the floor, setting it down to open it. He frowned, realizing he had nothing to open it with before standing to grab a knife from the kitchen.

He hurried back to the living room, cutting through the tape carefully before setting the knife aside, jumping back when a sudden quick movement startled him, knocking him on his ass as the lid of the box flew open, a fully-grown man now standing in his living room, looking down on him with a calculating stare, cold and expressionless.

Jack swallowed hard, heart still hammering in his throat as he scooted back a hair, the man watching him closely.

"Who are you?" Jack asked shakily, voice quiet in the silence of his house.

"I am Google IRL, Mark 1, a prototypical android designed by Google to assist and better the life of my administrator. Who are you?"

Jack blinked, sitting up as he stared openly at the android standing in front of him, looking more human than he thought imaginable.

"I'm your new administrator, I guess. My name is-"

"Sean William McLoughlin, age 26. Known as 'Jacksepticeye' to his 11,961,436 YouTube subscribers," Google replied, his eyes never leaving Jack once, never even blinking as he stared down at the Youtuber.

"Uh, yeah. Yeh can call me Jack," Jack replied, finally standing from the living room floor, examining the android with interest.

"And you are to replace Matthew 'Matthias' Frederick as my administrator?"

"Yeah. He had said he didn't have a place for you so I told him I'd take care of you," Jack replied, the android’s dark brows furrowing slightly.

"I do not need to be taken care of. My purpose is to tend to your needs and take care of you," the android replied, Jack unsure how to respond.

"Do you have a manual or user's guide? I'm not exactly sure what to do with you or what you're capable of."

"I am capable of almost anything, including but not limited to personal protection, housework, assistance with daily tasks, and companionship," the Google replied, voice stoic and face impassive, as if reading off a list.

Jack nodded absently, looking to the box and bending down to pull a small manual out, skimming through it briefly. He felt the robot’s gaze boring into him relentlessly, a bit uneasy at the intense scrutiny of the silent robot. Eventually he looked up, meeting the android’s gaze.

"You don’t have to stand there if you don't want to."

"I am awaiting orders. Commands must begin with the phrase 'Okay, Google' or be more straightforward."

"Okay, Google. Could you.. wash the dishes for me, please?" Jack asked, the android giving a single nod of his head.

"Affirmative."

The robot quickly turned around, heading for the kitchen, leaving Jack to sit on the couch and read over his owner's manual.

He's barely started reading when he hears a plate smash in the kitchen, jumping up and hurrying toward the source of the noise. Shards from a broken dish are scattered on the floor, the robot standing in front of his sink, stoic as always, as he reaches for another dirty plate. Jack’s eyes widen when the robot lifts a hammer, smashing the plate in his hand before reaching for another. Jack runs to the sink, waving his hands as he calls out to the android.

"Woah, no no no, stop! Where did you even get a hammer? Put that down!" Jack yells, the robot pausing to look to him before lowering the hammer and dropping the plate back into the sink with a clang. Jack looks to the shards of porcelain littering the floor, sighing before looking to his Google.

"Could you just.. go, please? Go in the living room?"

The robot stares him down, giving a short, jerky nod.

"Affirmative."

He leaves the room, Jack sighing before carefully heading to the dustpan and broom to sweep up the mess.

-

The first week or so of having his new robot is an experience. It's also a lesson in patience with how many times the android does something Jack doesn't expect or want him to, like scaring the shit out of him when he shows up suddenly and silently, or when he sends Jack’s location out onto the internet while the Youtuber is out getting groceries.

But Jack stays as calm as he possibly can, righting the wrongs his robot commits and reminding himself that the robot is buggy, that he's not trying to do anything wrong on purpose.

During the week of utter chaos there are calm moments, though. Jack learns more about the android, and he learns more about Jack in return. Jack comes up with a name to call him, settling on 'Mark' when he remembers the android introducing himself as Mark 1. Jack finds that the robot has emotions and opinions, that he isn't a completely unfeeling or unthinking machine. Mark doesn’t seem to like being alone for long, and enjoys watching Jack and other humans, though he seems more interested in Jack than anyone else. He recounts some of the time he spent with Matthias and Amanda, how they never seemed to use him as much as he would have liked.

He also mentions things he notices, too. One day while Jack is editing a video Mark sits on the other side of the room, eyes trained on his administrator. Jack asks what he's thinking and Mark replies.

"Your brows scrunch when you're focused."

Jack frowns, a bit confused by the observation.

"Yeah?"

Mark nods. "It's cute."

Jack feels heat creep high in his cheeks, surprised by the compliment.

"Thank you?"

Mark studies him shortly. "You're not good at taking compliments," he says, more a statement then a question. Jack shrugs.

"I guess not."

Mark gives another nod, going silent again. Jack turns back around to keep editing, still acutely aware of Mark’s eyes boring holes in the side of his face.

This isn't the only time Mark randomly compliments him. It happens more often than Jack would think. Sometimes they'll be sitting together, playing video games or watching tv, and Mark will say something that leaves Jack's face pink.

He's playing a video game when Mark speaks up, saying he has lovely eyes.

He's just waking up for an early morning run when Mark mentions his bedhead, saying it looks cute.

He says these things like fact, no embarrassment or shyness to it. It catches Jack off guard every time, but it's not unwelcome. Jack wonders why Matthias never mentioned this quirk, asking him in a message on Skype while Mark makes dinner a few nights later.

_Matthias: So how is life with Google going?_

_Great! Why didn't you tell me about how nice he is?_

_Matthias: What do you mean?_

_He's been complimenting me since he got here! Is it another one of his weird quirks?_

_Matthias: I don't know what you mean, dude. He never complimented me or Amanda when he was here. He didn't really speak to us much at all._

Jack is surprised by that, looking back toward his kitchen where Mark stands over the stove, watching the pan dutifully as he stirs something, the smell making Jack's mouth water.

_He does it all the time here! It's really flattering. Like, he spends so much time just staring at me that he seems to notice everything I do._

_Matthias: Wow. He never really did that with us. He must really like you!_

_I guess so? I thought he just watched me like that because he had nothing else to do._

_Matthias: Maybe. It seems like he likes you, though! He never seemed to like us too much, maybe he'll go easier on you._

_Maybe. Alright, I gotta get going. He's making dinner and I'm gonna go help him out._

_Matthias: Alright, man. Have a good night!_

_Thanks man! Talk to you later! :P_

Jack shuts his laptop, watching Mark for a couple seconds before setting his computer aside to help Mark finish dinner and set the table.

-

Jack is washing dishes after dinner with Mark about an hour later, both silent as music plays from Jack’s phone on the counter. Jack washes and Mark rinses and dries, both working in sync, fluid and easy.

Mark focuses on the task completely, working much quicker than Jack. Jack can feel Mark's gaze on the side of his face sometimes when he's waiting for Jack to hand him another plate, and the Irishman can't help but wonder what the robot finds so interesting, wondering what he could be thinking as his eyes zero in on him.

Eventually Jack looks over, opening his mouth to speak as he hands Mark another soapy plate.

"What are yeh thinking about Mark? Have something to say?"

Mark pauses briefly, rinsing and drying the plate before handing it back to Jack to put it away in the cupboard above his head.

"I wanted to apologize for my behavior when I first arrived. You did not deserve that treatment."

Jack is surprised by the admission of guilt, Mark looking genuinely troubled.

"It's alright. I'm not mad about it or anything."

"But you should be. You have every right to be upset yet you continue to be kind and patient and forgiving. I do not understand."

Jack shrugs, draining the water in the sink and grabbing a towel to dry his hands.

"I don't like stayin mad or holdin grudges. Yeh didn't do any harm, so there's no reason to be mad."

Mark still looks confused, taking the towel Jack offers and drying his own hands before they both head to Jack’s room to get ready for bed.

"I would still like to apologize, and make it up to you in any way I can," Mark replies in the dim of Jack’s bedroom, the Irishman ignoring the feeling of eyes on him and the dim glow of Mark’s eyes as they watch him change into a sleep shirt.

"Yer already helpin, Mark. Yeh don't need to repay me for bein patient with you, or for not gettin upset. That's just somethin I should be doin anyway," Jack continues, tossing his clothes in the hamper to wash tomorrow, crawling into bed as Mark sits at the end of the bed, something he's been doing almost the entire time he's been here when Jack finally lays down for the night.

Mark's eyes fall to the floor, the glowing orbs no longer meeting Jack’s as the Irishman gets comfortable, tossing a bit in bed as he waits to fall asleep.

His eyes are closed and mind drifting toward sleep when he feels the bed shift beside him, tired eyes opening just enough to see Mark’s eyes glowing in front of him, his arm snaking around Jack's waist in a soft embrace.

"What're yeh doin, Mark?" he asks, voice quiet, hushed by sleep. Mark continues to watch him, eyes unblinking as he takes in Jack’s features. He's quieter than usual, and Jack wonders if the android is nervous as the silence draws out longer than it usually would when he asks Mark a question, used to instantaneous answers in a cool tone.

"I've noticed that you lack contact with other people, especially physical contact."

"I guess?" Jack replies, not pulling away from the loose hold but not moving into it, either.

"Humans need physical contact. As your companion I feel it necessary to give it to you. I don’t want you to be lonely."

Jack is surprised by the explanation, surprised that Mark would be concerned with how Jack feels.

"Do you ever get lonely, Mark?" he finds himself asking, voice hushed as if sharing a secret.

"Sometimes. When you're busy or gone I do. That's why I stay with you when you're here. You're the only contact I get with anyone."

Jack is surprised by the admission, his arm snaking around Mark's side without conscious effort, holding him just like Mark is holding him.

They stay silent, Mark watching as Jack looks into his eyes before his bright blue eyes finally slip closed. Jack feels himself shift, pulled closer to a warm, solid body before he completely drifts to sleep in a soft embrace, solid and comforting.


	4. 6723

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: soulmate au where everyone is born with a set of numbers on their wrist. the two numbers above and below their number match the numbers of the two people that will end up being that person's soulmate, giving them the choice between two people. for example, person 1234 can choose between 1233 and 1235  
> also, in case anyone wasn't clear, Jack's other possible soulmate was dan!

6723

That was the number that had been etched into Jack’s skin since he was born, the set of numbers that decided his future. Sometimes he cursed the numbers forever staring at him from the inside of his wrist, the numbers that would decide who he would spend his life with. Only two people in all the world were compatible with him, two people out of the billions of people on Earth. What if he never found them? What if it wasn't all that everyone had made it out to be?

He had met the first of the two people who could be his soulmate, an American with a genuinely bright smile and kindness beyond anything Jack could imagine. He was bright and talented, funny and kind and everything good in the world wrapped up in long limbs and a mass of soft curls. But he was also taken. He'd met his match, had decided on the one he would be with before Jack had even met him or known of him in the first place. That left one person. One in over a billion people, one person in all the world that Jack would spend the rest of his life with. He had no idea who it could be but he kept his hopes up, knowing that one day he'd find them.

And then he found him.

A fellow Youtuber, someone Jack had looked up to and admired for years, a man he called a friend, one of his best friends in all the world.

He had just gotten off the plane for PAX East, smile filling his face and a laugh bubbling from his throat as he ran to the dark-haired American, who stood with arms spread and a wide smile of his own.

Jack threw his arms around Mark, grinning as they hugged before pulling away, sharing another smile.

"Hey Jackaboy. Ready?" Mark grinned, Jack nodding as they hurried to grab Jack’s bag before heading out to grab a taxi, heading to the hotel they would both be staying in for the convention. They both grinned, talking excitedly about the upcoming convention, Jack's stomach already knotting up in anxiousness and excitement at the thought of attending his first con. The ride went by quickly as the Youtubers spoke, Jack sliding out of the back when the driver stopped in front of their hotel about twenty minutes later. He was turning to shut the door when he stopped, watching as Mark knocked lightly on the glass between the front and back seats, money in hand. Jack was frozen in place as he spotted the inside of Mark’s left wrist, the numbers sitting under the thin skin.

6722

Jack’s eyes widened, mouth hanging open as the door fell closed between them, mind going blank as Mark payed the driver, exiting from the other side. He didn't seem to notice Jack’s silent crisis, going around to grab Jack’s bag before going around to Jack, who had finally shut his mouth, eyes still on Mark as the other grinned, patting him on the shoulder before walking around him, heading for the front doors of the hotel. Jack followed, silent as his mind raced, getting his room key in a daze as Mark carried his duffel, both Youtubers heading to an empty elevator toward their rooms.

They were nearing their floor, Mark's constant stream of smalltalk stopping as he poked at Jack’s side with his elbow, jolting the Irishman out of his brooding. Jack turned toward the other, cheeks warm as he realized he hadn't been paying attention to the conversation at all, guilt and nerves sitting heavy in his gut as Mark studied him worriedly.

"Jack? You okay?" he asked, obviously concerned by the Irishman's uncharacteristically quiet demeanor. Jack nodded, swallowing as he fiddled with the bracelets that covered his own number nervously.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he reassured the other, giving a weak smile as the elevator finally stopped on their floor. Mark nodded, not looking completely convinced as he turned to step out of the elevator, walking toward Jack’s room, just a few doors away from his own. Jack walked beside him silently, mind still racing as he pulled his keycard out of his pocket, fumbling slightly before finally unlocking his door and stepping into the doorway. He turned back to Mark, giving him a small smile as Mark grinned back reassuringly, holding his duffel bag out for him to take. Jack nodded his thanks, reaching out to take the bag from Mark with a smile. He didn't notice his bracelets sliding away from the number stamped into his skin, or Mark's eyes training on the numbers as he wished Mark a good night, promising to hang out with him later before taking the bag and closing the door, leaving Mark to stand dumbfounded at his door, their matching numbers stamped into his mind.


	5. Dark and Anti

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this one is for assbutt-of-the-readers, who gave me a handful of words as a prompt for a quick AntiDark thing: silver, light, shock, smile, crack, and peace  
> warning for kidnapping and violence

Dark growled, sharp pain piercing his temple as he finally squinted his crimson eyes open. He took in his surroundings, head still swimming from the hit to the temple and the choke hold that had knocked him unconscious. He seemed to be in a warehouse of sorts, a large room surrounding the seat he was fastened to with large silver chains and padlocks. He tried to pull his arms free, moving and pulling each limb as he searched for give in the restraints, finding none. He grit his teeth in frustration, pulling up hard with both arms, warm metal pulled taut against his forearms.

He huffed, squinting in the ghostly moonlight coming from the windows near the ceiling. He could only make out piles of boxes in the distance, the warehouse so large he could barely see the back wall in the distance. He continued pulling at his bonds, gritting his teeth as he pulled.

"Yer wastin yer energy."

Dark's head snapped up at the sudden voice, calm and cool with an accent and tone that made his skin prickle. He searched the darkness for the source of the noise, squinting and blinking when a light suddenly flashed on above him, blinding him momentarily. He blinked away the spots in his vision, squinting as he finally spotted a figure making it's way toward him, slow and steady.

When the other finally stepped into the light Dark could do nothing but stare. A shock of bright green hair and the paleness of his skin were the first things he noticed, the man's frame slimmer and smaller than his own. His eyes were bright and mismatched, one a cool blue while the other was an acid green, the white of his eye completely black. He watched Dark with mild interest, studying him as if he were a specimen under a microscope. Dark would usually be pissed as hell for anyone so much as attempting to hold him, but he knew immediately that the being standing in front of him was more like him than any human.

He was in the presence of another demon.

Dark's smile pulled slowly at his face, grinning as he watched the other with hungry eyes and hands itching to reach out and touch the beautiful being circling him slowly.

"What's your name, beautiful?" he asked, grin unwavering even as the other stopped directly in front of his bound legs, frown unimpressed and somewhat annoyed.

"Anti. I'm telling you here and now that if you keep killing like you have been you'll be found very quickly. More cops means less chance for me to work, and I won't have some idiot with a hard-on for violence get me caught," Anti growled, slinking forward and bending down to meet Dark's eye, only a couple inches from his face.

Dark paused, staring deeply into the bleeding eye of the other as he let the words sink in, finally focusing on the beautiful face of the demon standing nose-to-nose with him.

"What if we worked together?"

Anti sneered, looking almost disgusted by the idea.

"Why the hell would I want to do that?"

Dark shrugged mildly, still smiling up at the other.

"I could help you. I'm stronger than you are, I could do more of the grunt work and you could make sure we don't get caught."

Anti frowned, still looking unimpressed by the offer.

"I don't trust you."

"You don’t have to. I wouldn't."

Anti paused, searching his face as he stood again. Dark watched until he went around to his back, something wooden scraping across the concrete ground before Anti slowly made his way back around, a wooden baseball bat in hand.

"If I find you causing bloodbaths in my hunting grounds again I won't be so kind next time."

He brought the bat up, swinging hard at Dark’s head.

Everything went black.

-

The bat hit his head hard with a resounding _crack_ , a huge crack marring the polished wood. Anti dropped it to the floor, looking to his unconscious companion sitting slumped in the chair. He sighed as he grabbed the keys from his pocket, unlocking the padlocks and undoing his chains before starting the painfully slow process of pulling the demon out to the car. He tied him again and shoved him into the trunk, going around to start the car and drive his cargo out of the city.

He drove into the night, finally stopping a few miles outside of city limits. He pulled over in the hillside, dropping the unconscious demon on the side of the road before finally unchaining him again. He paused, making a last-minute decision that he knew he would regret, hurrying to his car and dropping off the chains and locks, pulling a scrap paper and pen out of the glove box. He scribbled a quick message, folding the paper and going over to slide it into the demon's pocket before heading back to his car and driving away.

-

Dark woke as the sun rose, disoriented and pained. He groaned as he held a hand to his head, still throbbing with the force of the hit he'd received. He sat up, looking around slowly as he got his barings. He was just outside the city, the sun still sitting just under the horizon. He probably had a concussion and his car was miles away, still within city limits. He'd have to walk back into the city.

He sighed, standing and heading back the way he'd come into the city a few days prior, head throbbing mercilessly. He dusted himself off as he walked, running a hand through his hair as he looked back at the road behind him, hoping for a car to give him a ride. No such luck. He groaned, kicking up dirt as he trudged toward the crappy hotel parking lot his car was still sitting in. He patted down his pockets, wondering if the other demon had stolen his keys or the little money he'd kept on him last night. Everything was exactly where it had been, but he soon found a crumpled piece of paper that hadn't been there the night before. He pulled it out, unfolding it and reading by the dim light of early morning.

_If you prove yourself competent enough not to get caught, find me again. I'll be heading east soon. Prove yourself to me and I might entertain the thought of working with you._

_Anti_

A phone number and the name of a city sat at the bottom, leaving Dark beaming as he folded the paper again, placing it back into his pocket with care. He just needed to be careful, keep his hands clean and find Anti again. He knew that with the other demon by his side they would be capable of terrible, disgusting things.

Dark couldn't wait.

He walked all the way into town with a smile on his face, reaching his car and driving away from the tiny little town sitting in the middle of the desert. He kept his head down, his hands clean, and drove to the town Anti would be waiting for him in. And even with the quiet murders marking his path, the country was at peace, none the wiser of the two demons coming together to tear the world apart.


	6. Frustration

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> for a very sweet anon on tumblr!! they asked for a hitman/assassin/serial killer au where dark and anti get too involved in each other while trying to hunt someone down. I didn't intend for this chapter to be a continuation of last chapter but it just fit really well, so why not? hope you like it, anon!!

It's been a few months since you first picked Dark up after your first meeting. You've been working together off and on ever since, the other demon always seeming to be hovering just over your shoulder. At first it had vexed you to no end, his clingy hands, his body boxing you in until you could hardly breathe. But now, lounging in hotel rooms with him leaning against you, or flopped over your legs like an especially heavy lap dog is normal. It's calm, natural. Your hand in his dyed strands, his fingers tracing idle shapes along your legs.

Every time either one of you goes out on a solo mission you separate for days at a time, staying in separate hotel rooms until any immediate danger simmers down. And every time he comes back to you with arms outstretched and praises falling from his mouth like a waterfall, engulfing you in kisses and soft touches, sweet words spilled from his babbling lips and swallowed again by your own.

But the nights you work together can be even more fun, one-upping each other as you work side by side, showing off and teasing him just to make him squirm. It's now become one of your favorite parts of the job, not that you'll ever admit to it.

It's one of those nights, air warm as you chase your target from different angles, two cats cornering the same sniveling, cowardly mouse. This hit is an exceptionally high-paying job, a rich fucker after vengeance on the rat running on the street below you. He knew you were coming, knew his time was ticking as he tried to flee the country. But you aren't letting him get away that easily. He'll be missing his flight, you and Dark get payed handsomely, and you get to have some fun teasing Dark while you work. What's not to like?

You hear Dark's heavy footfalls bouncing off the walls of the alleys below, your target's head whipping around toward the sound before running harder, weaving through tight alleys and behind anything that will give him cover, making it impossible for you to do the quick, easy sniper shot you were hoping for. You hear Dark's laugh, low and menacing, as he nears your target below, the sound making your toes curl and your grin spread wide across your face. The little shit fleeing in the alleys beneath you is cornered when he ducks into a dead-end alley, turning around with his back to the wall and wide, panicked eyes. You grin, watching as Dark steps out into the alley across from the target, eyes sharp on him before turning his face up to meet your gaze, face softening as your eyes meet. He stalks toward the building you stand on, hands outstretched and grin wide as you step over the ledge and drop to the ground below.

He catches you easily, spinning you once in his arms with a smile so fond it pierces something deep within you and you smile back, small but genuine. His arms wrapped tight around your lower back, bodies pressed together, his eyes bright crimson in the dark. You lean in, barely brushing your lips against his, reveling in the thrashing of his heart, the tightening of his hold as he pulls you closer before you pull your head back.

"We have work to do,  _grá mo chroí_ ," you murmur against his lips, hand running over his cheek. He sighs, eyes shut as he gives you another squeeze before setting you on your feet and removing his arms, your body cold as you stalk away from Dark and toward your prey, easily feeling Dark's sharp eyes watching you intently as he follows just a few steps behind.

You don't speak as you near your target, pressed as far away from the both of you as he possibly can, eyes flying between the both of you.

"You know why we're here. Don't try to run or make a noise and I'll make it quick."

His eyes land on you, swallowing hard at your words, fists clenching as he shakes, cornered and terrified.

"Please, don't do this. I can pay you-"

"Don't waste your breath."

The target shuts up quickly, teeth clicking closed. You feel Dark's eyes watching you and you alone, his sharp eyes and firm hold still heavy on your mind as you stalk toward the mouse sniveling in front of you.

You pull your knife, blade glinting in the low light. His eyes land on the shining metal, face paling in fear as you step right up to him, knife light against his chest.

You twirl the point of the blade idly against his chest, watching as the target shakes in fear. You feel more than hear Dark's approach, tilting your head toward him in acknowledgement, eyes still trained on the rat under your blade.

Dark's hands come to rest on your hips, running up and down your sides as he rests his chin on your shoulder, molding his body to yours with a small sigh and a kiss to the side of your jaw.

"Come on, baby. I want to go back home," he murmurs, low and soft against the side of your neck, his voice making your bones hum and your heart thump hard against your ribs. His fingers run along your hips, snaking under your hoodie and shirt and lighting your skin with sparks where his thumbs run along your hips. You fight off a shudder, but just barely.

You're finally focusing back on the target when suddenly a blinding pain knocks you back, eyes shut and yelling in surprised pain as you stumble from the sudden blow to the head. Dark stumbles with you, arms wrapping more firmly to steady you as you both stumble, tripping over his feet as you reel in pain.

You hear the footsteps getting farther and farther away, blinking away the pain as you pull from Dark's hold and run toward the sound.

You sprint as hard and fast as you can, teeth gritted in anger as you chase your target down, Dark right on your heels. You slow when the sound of your target's steps stops completely, finding yourselves on the sidewalk to a busy street filled with cars, buses, and taxis. Your target is gone.

You curse, head tipped back in annoyance as Dark stops beside you, huffing out a sigh.

"I'm guessing celebratory sex isn't on the menu for tonight, then?" he asks dryly, voice tight with frustration. Whether the frustration is from losing the target or not getting any from you, you can't say. You run a hand through your hair and sigh.


	7. Early Morning Baking

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _I want to love you, love you_   
>  _Love you madly_
> 
> __  
> **Cake - "Love You Madly"**  
> 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> anon asked for septiplier and cake and I aim to please. hope you like it hun!!

Mark woke early on his birthday, earlier than usual. The California sky was still hazy and dull, colors muted outside as the sun stayed trapped just behind the horizon. His bed was cool and empty when he reached an arm out for his boyfriend, rubbing his eyes as he pulled himself slowly from the sheets and made his way out of the bedroom to look for the green-haired ball of energy.

He was just heading down the stairs when he heard music playing, quiet but echoing from the kitchen, a familiar Irish lilt singing along quietly. Mark was already smiling as he shuffled toward the doorway, stopping to watch from a couple feet away, arms crossed easily over his chest and a smile spreading across his face as he leaned against the doorway.

There was Sean, stirring something in a large bowl in a t-shirt and baggy sweats, singing softly as his phone played music across the room. Mark recognized the song as Jack sang along, hushed but just loud enough to hear from the doorway.

 _"I don't want to hold back_  
_I don't want to slip down_  
_I don't want to think back to the one thing that I know I_  
_Should have done"_

Mark was already making his way into the kitchen, crossing the cold tiled floor as silently as he could while Jack sang, back to Mark as he poured batter into a cake tin, shuffling to the song he sang along to.

 _"I don't want to doubt you_  
_Know everything about you_  
_I don't want to sit across the table from you_  
_Wishing I could run"_

He had just put the pan in the oven, shutting the door and standing when Mark wrapped his arms around his waist, chin resting on his shoulder as Sean jumped slightly, turning his head enough to see Mark grinning sleepily from the corner of his eye before his voice joined the music coming to a close on his phone.

 _"I want to love you madly_  
_I want to love you now_  
_I want to love you madly, way_  
_I want to love you, love you_  
_Love you madly"_

Mark smiled, shuffling to the beat as Sean grinned, hands coming up to rest on Mark's arms, still wrapped around his waist, holding him close.

The song came to a close, Mark's eyes opening when Jack pulled away enough to turn around, arms wrapping around the back of his neck, flour dusted along his cheeks and the end of his nose, a fond smile brightening his features in the dim light of morning and the single light glowing over the stove.

"You were supposed to sleep in. I was gonna make ye breakfast," Sean murmured, Mark's smile turning sheepish as he pulled Sean a little closer.

"I can help out, if you want?" he offered, Jack's face morphing into an exaggerated pout as he shook his head adamantly.

"It's yer birthday, you’re not allowed to do any work if I can help it."

"It's no trouble, Sean. I don’t want you doing this all by yourself-"

"Hush, you. I wanna make ye breakfast in bed, now let me do it. Get back to bed," he grinned, leaning up enough to kiss the end of his nose before stepping out of Mark’s hold and pushing him back toward the stairs.

"Up ye get! Breakfast'll be ready soon. Get some more sleep."

Mark grinned, allowing himself to be pushed out to the stairs before turning around, grabbing Jack’s jaw lightly and leaning in for a kiss, soft and sweet.

"Alright, I'll go. Thanks for this."

Jack grinned against his lips, pulling back when Mark continued planting quick, soft kisses against his lips, deterring him slightly.

"It's no problem, darlin. Now up ye get, I'll be up with yer food soon," he smiled, kissing him one last time before pushing him back toward the stairs with a grin.

Mark was at the top of the stairs when Jack called him again, turning to look back at him from the railing near their room.

"What's up?" he asked, leaning against the railing as Jack grinned up at him from the bottom of the stairs.

"Happy birthday, love."

Mark grinned again, dopey and soft before Jack shooed him back toward the bedroom, heading back into the kitchen to finish cooking.


	8. Suds

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> for an anon on tumblr who asked for the prompts "Come over here and make me" and "Wanna bet?"  
> if you're under the age of 18 I do not want you reading this chapter. seriously. do not.  
> nsfw, sexual content. sorry I didn't do a huge detailed porno, I'm saving that for another prompt! enjoy!!

"Sean, it has been approximately 77 hours since you last bathed. You are in need of a shower."

"I'll do it tomorrow, Mark. Leave me alone."

Mark frowns, not at all content with the reply.

"You said that several hours ago, Sean. You need to shower, and you need sleep."

Sean frowns from his spot at his desk, staring intently at the screen of his computer as he plays something. Sean turns when Mark speaks again, glaring petulantly as he pulls his headphones off. He pauses, frowning at Mark as he seems to think of something, chin tilting upwards in defiance as his eyes sparkle, clear and bright even in the dim light from the cloudy sky outside.

"Come over here and make me."

Mark stares, still and silent as he takes in the look in Sean’s eye, the increased heartbeat, the slight tint to his cheeks. He quickly makes his way over, mind racing and body hot as he leans down, scooping Sean out of the computer chair easily and flinging him over his shoulder, arm up around his administrator's waist with the Irishman's  torso hanging over his back, his legs dangling and kicking lightly in front of the android's stomach.

"Agh! Dammit Mark, I'm not a child!"

"Then don't act like one," Mark replies easily, no hint of emotion in his voice even though he’s being a little shit.

Mark goes toward Sean’s room, grabbing clothes and towels before carrying him all the way to his bathroom and setting him down in the shower, his administrator glaring at him half-heartedly.

"Have a pleasant shower, Sean. I will be down the hall if you need anything."

"Just because you brought me here doesn't mean I'm doin anything."

Mark pauses, turning back to his stubborn administrator with a frown of his own.

"You are in need of a shower, Sean, and you will take one if I have to wash you myself."

"Wanna bet?"

Mark pauses again, taking in the tint high in Sean’s cheeks, pupils wider than usual, making his usually bright eyes appear dark and stormy.

Mark pauses, fingers itching to rip Sean’s clothes off and lay his hands all across his soft, warm skin. But he refrains, stepping closer slowly, eyes locked on Sean’s as he steps up to him, finally stopping when they stand nose to nose.

Before Mark can ask what it is Sean would like him to do Sean acts, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt and yanking him forward, soft, warm lips mashing against Mark’s with a groan. Mark’s hands immediately fly to Sean’s hips, pulling him closer as they kiss with purpose, Sean pulling the android with him as he backs into the shower stall, hands fisting at the bottom of Mark’s shirt, silently asking for permission. Mark immediately agrees, lifting his arms and pulling back enough for Sean to pull the shirt off quickly, lips immediately finding Mark's again.

They pull their clothes off in the warm light of Sean’s bathroom as quickly as possible, Sean’s cheeks dark and cock leaking as Mark turns the water on, leaving marks all along his neck and shoulder, pink and beautiful against the rest of his pale skin, a stark reminder that he had been here when this is all said and done.

Sean is already murmuring pleas and orders against his jaw, arms and legs wrapped firmly around him as he pushes him against the wall, hips slotting easily between Sean's long, pale legs, the other drawing him tighter against him as he kisses him hungrily.

By the time they step out of the shower Sean is almost asleep, Mark carrying him bridal style to dry him off, foregoing the clothes to lay him in bed nude, covering him in clean sheets. Mark climbs in beside him, arms snaking around Sean’s slim torso and pulling him close as he too shuts down, smiling as he feels Sean cuddle closer before his systems go completely offline and everything goes black.


	9. So Pretty For Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> slight nsfw warning guys. I was originally gonna do a bigger, more detailed thing but I just really don't want to write a big porn scene. like I have ideas bouncing around but I dunno, maybe I'll do it in a oneshot.  
> the prompt was Dark/Jack "Teach me how to play." hope you like it gg, and sorry it's so short

Jack was honestly nervous as all hell when Dark texted him, telling him he'd be home soon. He’d been planning this for a while now, and while he knew he wanted to do this, knew that there was nothing to be afraid of, it didn't quite ease the anxious butterflies thrashing around his gut, foot tapping as his fingers twisted and pulled at the bracelets around his wrist.

Jack almost jumped out of his skin when he heard the front door open and shut with a dull _snap_. Jack swallowed, taking a deep, steadying breath before scooting back, sitting on the edge of the bed as he waited for Dark.

As soon as Dark stepped in and shut the door his eyes landed on Jack, studying him with sharp, crimson eyes that still seemed to cut through him completely. Dark looked over the bouncing leg, the pink tint in Jack’s cheeks, and the bag sitting behind his leg, almost hidden from view.

"Before ye say anything, could ye please take a shower first? Ye got blood on ye," Jack said softly, a firm request. Dark's eyes moved toward the bag again, obviously curious, but nodded, heading toward the back of the room to the bathroom, shutting the door with a soft _click_.

Jack stood, grabbing his bag and pulling out it's contents before hurrying to get ready, nerves still buzzing as he got everything ready. When he was sure that everything was ready he scooted to the head of the bed, heart racing as he waited for Dark to step out of the bathroom.

Dark stepped out in a cloud of steam a few minutes later, towel wrapped firmly around his waist as he headed toward the dresser for clothes, turning to look back at Jack when something caught his eye, making him turn further to get a better look.

Jack sat, legs crossed at the head of the bed, watching Dark’s face for his reaction. His bright red eyes soon landed on the straps of soft leather tied to the bed posts, hanging over Jack’s head. His eyes flew back to Jack, looking so normal as he sat at the head of the bed, color high in his cheeks and bright eyes just a shade darker than usual.

Dark stalked toward the bed, fingers brushing against the soft leather cuff closest to him, eyes quickly finding Jack’s again.

"What's this?" he asked, dark eyebrow raised, the ghost of a smirk pulling at the corner of his mouth.

"You had said before that you wanted to play around with something like this one day," Jack started, fingers wrapping loosely around the leather strap as he pushed past the nerves and embarrassment, cheeks dark as his eyes met Dark's again.

"Teach me how to play."

Jack saw the change immediately, Dark’s bright eyes growing darker as he crawled over Jack’s legs, tilting his chin up with a soft grip as his other hand held the human's wrist.

"Are you sure, darling? You'll be completely at my mercy. Do you really have that much faith in me?" the demon asked, voice low in the silence of the room, thumb running lightly over the stubble on the mortal's chin as he looked deep into piercing blue eyes.

"I do."

Dark studied him a few seconds later, a small smile settling on his lips as he leaned forward, capturing Jack’s lips with his own as he strapped his wrists above his head, one after the other.


	10. Grey Skies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is for a precious anon who asked for three specific prompts and who had also wanted all the rest. bless you anon, your ask really made my day. here's one of the three prompts, which was "Have I entered an alternate universe or did you really just crack a smile for me?" for septiplier

Ever since Mark met his roommate Jack McLoughlin, he wanted to befriend him. He was quiet and brooding, intimidating with his ripped skinny jeans, bright hair, piercings, tattoos, and the permanent scowl that seemed etched into his face. But despite all the signs telling him that Jack was uninterested in making friends, Mark still tried. He would always be as polite as he could, greeting the Irishman whenever they came together, inviting him to hang out or go with him to hang out with Bob and Wade.

Each time Jack declined, but that didn't stop Mark from trying. Even if Jack seemed set on keeping to himself, Mark was determined to befriend him.

And slowly, little by little, Mark noticed more and more about his roommate. He saw through the angry pull of his thick brows, spotting every small shift that signified a different emotion. He noticed a few weeks after orientation, when Jack's refusal of Mark’s invitations to hang out grew less harsh. He noticed when Jack seemed to start relaxing more around him, wearing sweats and old t-shirts, and even a pair of flamingo shorts that Mark fell in love with instantly.

He was damn near giggling with giddiness when he had his first long conversation with Jack over takeout and video games, learning more about the Irishman than he ever thought he would.

He learned that he was the baby of a full house, with four older siblings. He learned that he spoke Gaelic and Korean, and found that he quite liked the sound of the phrases he'd speak even if he had no idea what the other was saying. He found that Jack had an amazing sense of humor, and laughed until his face was red while he joked, completely destroying him in the two-person shooter they were playing.

After that their banter was easier, though for some reason Mark never saw Jack smile. And as the weeks went on, it only plagued him further. Why couldn't he make Jack smile? Soon it became his mission to make the other smile, and for weeks he attempted to get even the hint of a smile to cross the other's face to no avail. Every chance he got he cracked jokes and tried to cheer Jack up, but he still never saw him smile.

It's a rainy day in October when Mark finally gets home from a long day of classes, work, and grocery shopping, sopping wet as he finally steps into his room with groceries in hand and wet hair dripping in his eyes. He heads straight to the small kitchenette, putting the food away before going toward their shared room, teeth chattering and shivering as he hurries to get out of his wet clothes. Jack perks up when he sees Mark, concern evident in the slight tilt of his brows and pull of his mouth.

"Ye alright, Mark?"

"Yeah, cold as shit though. I got caught outside without an umbrella. I'm gonna go shower," he replies, teeth chattering as he pulls out clean, dry clothes and a towel before hurrying to warm up in the shower.

Once Mark is warm and dry in his comfiest pajamas he leaves his wet clothes hanging over the tub to dry, going out to find Jack sitting at the large window in the living area, sitting right up against the window and looking out at the sky. Mark sidles up beside him, sitting down beside him as he, too, watches the rain fall, rain pattering against the windows the only sound in the quiet of their dorm.

"I've always loved the rain. It reminds me of home," Jack murmured eventually, surprising Mark in the silence. Mark stays quiet, turning to Jack as he speaks, quiet and fond.

"It rained all the fuckin time in Ireland. I told myself I'd never miss the rain when I came out here, but I did. Got so used to grey skies and damp grass that it was weird bein without it."

He pauses, eyes falling to the view of campus, the few people walking with umbrellas or hurrying for shelter with ducked heads and hunched shoulders.

"I used to live out in a cabin with my parents, out in the middle of the woods. No one near us for miles and miles. I'd go huntin with my dad sometimes or just go for a walk outside and it was so damn quiet. Nothin but the wind through the trees and the animals, the sound of rain when it fell."

Mark watches as a small, fond smile curls one side of his lips up, chest growing tight at the sight of Jack’s smile.

Jack goes quiet again and Mark smiles, taking in the upturn of his lips.

"Have I entered an alternate universe or did you really just crack a smile for me?"

Jack turns to him quickly, all hint of the smile gone as he glares, though Mark knows that there’s no anger behind it.

"Shuddup. I smile."

"Not around me."

"Probably because of your awful jokes."

Mark gasps dramatically, heart lurching in his chest when Jack smiles again, even bigger than before.

The rest of the night is quiet except for the movies they play on the tv in the living room and the sound of the rain, the jokes that flow between the two more easily than before. And every time Jack smiles Mark smiles, and his chest warms at the sight, knowing he was causing it.


	11. A Quick Job

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warning for violence, murder, and death  
> for the same anon from the last one, who asked for a couple prompts for AntiDark: "Have you lost your damn _mind!?_ " and "If I die, I'm gonna kill you." decided to put both in one chapter. hope you like it hun!!

It was supposed to be a quick job. Get in, steal some shit, kill the guy, get out. But looking over the football field-sized lot and the guards patrolling the mansion, this would be anything but easy. Anti is watching the guards patrol for patterns, timing their cycles, how long certain entry points were left unguarded. He's preparing. Dark, on the other hand, is flopped boredly beside Anti, chin resting on his shoulder as he pouts.

"Come on, Anti. Let's just go already!"

"I don't want either of us gettin shot to shit, Dark. We need to think up a plan."

"Alright, here's the plan: kill everyone, steal whatever the fuck we're stealing, go home. Done."

"We need to figure out how to get past the guards- Dark, stop!" Anti whisper-yells, his partner already stalking toward the nearest guard patrolling beside the back door. Dark doesn't listen, creeping low near the bushes and inching toward the lounge chairs lining the side of the pool.

Anti has no choice but to follow, quick and quiet as he keeps his head down, praying they don't get riddled with bullets or captured by the end of this.

Soon enough he catches up to Dark, who's stopped a few feet from a lone guard. He puts a finger up to his lips, smiling dangerously at Anti before hurrying to the guard and stabbing him quickly, covering his mouth as he gurgles and chokes from the deep knife wound at the side of his neck.

Dark drags the now-deceased guard toward the shrubs and drops him, his boots just barely peeking out as Dark stands at the spot the guard just was, assuming his stoic stance with hands clasped behind him, shooting a smile and a wink to Anti.

Before Anti can pull him back or say a word the other guard walks forward, nodding toward Dark in acknowledgement before pausing, squinting at his face.

Dark swipes the knife through his neck, leaving a deep gash as the other guard falls to the ground in a heap of blood and spasming limbs. Anti looks around quickly to make sure that the coast is clear before stomping forward, smacking Dark upside the head.

"Have you lost your damn _mind!?_ You could have gotten both of us killed!" he growls, still keeping his voice low in case anymore guards come.

"But I didn't. Now let's get that painting or whatever and kill the guy."

"You don’t even know what we're here for? God dammit, Dark, were you paying attention to the phone call at all?"

"I was paying more attention to how pretty you looked than some rich asshole sniveling about stolen shit."

Anti growls under his breath, squeezing his eyes shut and counting to five so he doesn't strangle Dark here and now. "We're looking for a gold vase. We kill the old man. We go home."

Dark crosses his arms over his chest and Anti ignores the way it makes his muscles shift and flex, turning to crouch at the back door with his lockpick.

"If I die, I'm gonna kill you," Anti mutters, glaring hard at the lock in front of him. Anti can practically feel Dark's eye roll, eyes still trained on the door as he listens for the click of the lock.

"You know I wouldn’t let anyone hurt you, baby. They'd be dead on the floor before they even tried."

Anti rolls his eyes, too, the lock clicking open before he stands, turning to glare over his shoulder at Dark before they creep into the house to search for their target and their prize.


	12. Shackled and Caged

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is for my bae gg who asked for fantasy!au dark/jack in a prison setting. hope you like it hun, and sorry for how short it is!!

It was a seemingly normal afternoon in the dungeons of the Kjellberg House, the prisoners in their usual state of unrest. Jack McLoughlin, a veteran guard of the cells, was making his rounds, slow and meticulous, calm and sure. He was one of the longest standing guards in the dungeons, and was respected by his fellow guards. He had done this for years now, and had seen just about everything now that he was in charge of the worst criminals in their block. So when a small hoard of guards surrounding a lone prisoner came marching down his corridor, he remained calm, stepping back to allow the group to pass by, heading for the furthest cell in the back corner, away from all the other prisoners. He waited as the group passed, looking toward the middle of the small crowd and spotting dark hair before the prisoner's head rose, and eyes the deepest crimson Jack had ever seen met his own, holding his gaze until the guards pushed him into his cell, shackled and chained like something deadly. Jack watched as the guards shut his door and locked it behind them, one of the younger guys, Ryan, stopping beside him to fill him in.

"Why didn't you remove his chains?" is the first question out of Jack's mouth, cutting Ryan off before he can even get a word in.

"Do you know who he is?" Ryan asks, hushed and wide-eyed, as if sharing especially juicy gossip. "He's the one that's been seen all over the kingdom, causing disturbances and harming the citizens. He’s the one that put half of the pub in the infirmary a couple weeks back."

"You know the rules, Ryan. He's allowed the use of his limbs unless he is a substantial threat to himself or others."

Ryan looks as though he's about to argue but Jack raises a hand, eyes still firmly on the bars of the cell, unable to see the room or it's prisoner from his post at the middle of the hall, the small mob of guards already heading back to their own posts.

Jack holds a hand out for the keys to the prisoner's chains, and reluctantly Ryan relinquishes them, though he looks as though he wants to continue arguing against it. Jack ignores the worried look in his eye, taking the keys and striding to the furthest cell.

The prisoner stands a few feet from the bars, eyes falling on Jack as he comes into view, watching him closely. He's been silent since he walked into the dungeons, an uncommon occurrence for any of the prisoners. Jack steps up to the bars, keys in hand as he meets deep red eyes like nothing else he's ever seen.

"Turn around and step up to the bars, please," Jack orders, the prisoner's brow rising as he blinks at Jack, looking him up and down before turning around and backing up, the metal bars pressed to his shoulder blades, pressing into his back as he waits for Jack to free him. Jack kneels to unlock his ankles first, pulling the heavy metal chains into the corridor, out of reach of the prisoner before standing to unlock his wrists.

"What's your name, beautiful?"

Jack's eyes fly up to look toward the prisoner's face, turned to meet Jack’s eyes over a broad shoulder. Jack looks back to the chains.

"Officer McLoughlin to you," he replies curtly, knowing the lengths some prisoners will go to escape. It wouldn't be the first time one of the prisoners tried to seduce a guard to regain freedom.

"Well it's very nice to meet you, Officer. And you'll be guarding me?" he asks, a slow smirk settling on his face, bright eyes shining mischievously.

"I guard this whole block. I'm keeping you, along with the twenty or so other prisoners, from doin anymore harm than ye've already done, to yourselves, each other, or anyone else."

"I feel safe in your hands, Officer," he grins, the shackles finally coming undone under Jack's hands, pulling the chains away as the prisoner rubs at his wrists, turning to face the guard fully.

"Has anyone ever told you your accent is sexy as hell?" he asks, hands coming forward to wrap around the bars, leaning as close to Jack as he can with smouldering crimson eyes and a smirk that promises nothing good. Jack meets his gaze, dead-eyed and not at all impressed.

"I'll be checkin on ye later. Dinner is in a couple hours. Ye just missed lunch, so I can get ye somethin if ye can’t wait til dinner."

The prisoner continues smirking, eyes roaming over Jack again.

"How about you? I'm sure you taste just as delicious as you look."

Jack frowns, giving a small, exasperated sigh.

"Is that a yes or a no?"

The prisoner pauses, studying Jack before shrugging his shoulders lightly.

"I'm sure I'll be fine, gorgeous. So long as I get to look at you all day."

Jack doesn’t even bother to reply, stooping to pick up the shackles before marching toward the storage room at the intersection of the blocks, the prisoner's voice following him down the hall, bouncing off the walls from all sides.

"I look forward to seeing you later, Officer!"

Jack ignores him and continues on.


	13. Hostage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> this was supposed to be funny but I just couldn't make it funny at all. sorry anon. I was also thinking of making it longer so Jack could get away (like he was faking all this and irritating Dark to get him to leave long enough to get away) but I just did not want to make this longer so pbt. here ya go anon, I'm sorry for being unfunny and lazy

Dark lugged the body of his latest hostage over his shoulder, the small Irishman heavier than expected. He finally got him to his workspace, a nondescript building that had been abandoned for years. He moved the location of his various operations every job, and this new workspace was honestly a little gross, even for him. He wouldn't mind the mold and mice if the fucking rats didn't scurry all around while he tried to get shit done. It was fucking annoying. He growled as another fat rodent ran right under his feet, almost making him trip. He cursed under his breath, shifting his unconscious guest on his arm before making his way to the back, dropping the kid on a mattress in a tiny shoebox of a room, black canvas bag still securely fastened over his head. He bent down to pull the bag off, coming face to face with long lashes and thick brows, pale skin and bright green hair.

Jack McLoughlin, son of the wealthy and powerful Mayor McLoughlin. Dark couldn't give less of a shit about either of them, but a job was a job, and this one required kidnapping the mayor's youngest son.

He locked the door behind him, making sure the cuffs were secure on the kid before setting his bag down and sitting in the chair in the corner, waiting for the drugs to wear off and his guest to wake up.

He was just finishing another round of solitaire on his disposable phone when he noticed the kid moving, shifting and moving on the mattress, slow with sleep and drugs.

Finally the youngest McLoughlin wakes, surprisingly bright blue eyes glassy and somewhat unfocused as he slowly takes in his surroundings, eyes finally falling on Dark. Dark meets his eyes, waiting for his reaction. The kid blinks, brows furrowing as he looks around again, eyes falling back on Dark.

Dark crosses his arms over his chest, watching idly as the kid blinks at him, lids still hooded.

"Where am I?" he asks, accent thick and words slurred slightly.

"You're not supposed to know. That's the whole point."

He blinks again, looking unfazed by the answer.

"Who're you?"

"Not supposed to know that, either."

"... You're really pretty."

Dark raises a brow, looking up from finding his client's number in the phone, pressing call and putting it to his ear in favor of continuing the conversation with his still-intoxicated prisoner.

He waits for the guy to pick up the phone, cutting to the chase immediately and giving as little information as he can, mostly agreeing or disagreeing as the other forms plans. He doesn't want the kid to overhear him and know exactly what he plans on doing. The longer he can keep this kid in the dark, the better. He soon has a plan set in motion, hanging up and returning his full attention to the kid on the mattress. He’s now sitting up, hands still cuffed behind his back as he looks around idly.

"So I'm guessin ye've kidnapped me?" he asks, still surprisingly calm. Dark nods.

"Any idea when I'll get outta here?"

"Depends on your dear old dad. Daddy McLoughlin fond of you, Jackaboy?"

Jack shrugs. "Yeah, I suppose. So I'm just stayin here then?"

"Til he pays up, yeah."

Jack nods, and you wonder how strong those drugs were. This kid gives less fucks about this situation than he should, and it's a little unnerving.

"Can we go somewhere?"

"Why the fuck would I take you somewhere? You’re my hostage. The whole point of this is to keep you where no one can find you."

"But I'm bored."

"That’s not my fucking problem."

"Can ye at least get me some food? I'm fuckin starvin."

Dark frowns, a bit irritated by the demands of his captive, who doesn't seem at all afraid of him or the situation he's in.

"I'm not your fucking chauffeur or your babysitter. You can starve for all I care."

He frowns, matching the demon's irritated look with a similar expression.

"You won't get much money for my fuckin corpse. Get me some food."

The order has Dark across the room in seconds, pulling the scrawny little shit up to his eye level by his shirt.

"I don't have to do a goddamn thing for you, you little shit. I could send you to your dear old dad one piece at a fucking time, starting with your fucking tongue. So shut the fuck up and be a good little hostage or you'll quickly be acquainted with my knife."

He drops him unceremoniously, grabbing his phone and storming out the door, locking it behind him.


	14. Closer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> a sweet anon asked for googleplier getting protective over Jack or Jack not against mark's infatuation, so I did both! hope you like it hun!!

When Mark comes in to check on Jack, he's not fast enough to hide his red face and tear-stained cheeks, Mark's eyes going wide as he hurries to his administrator, wrapping his arms around him in a firm embrace.

"Sean, what’s wrong?"

Jack's hands come up to pull Mark closer, leaving them to rest on his shoulder blades as he sniffles against the android's shoulder.

"Nothin, Mark. I'm fine."

"That is not a true statement, Sean. Please, let me help you."

Jack sniffles again, a little quieter as he pulls back enough to wipe his eyes and nose with the back of his hand, still holding Mark close.

"Just somethin that's been gettin to me lately. Some shit people have been sayin."

"What people? Sean, please explain."

Jack pulls back, finding Mark's eyes searching him, soft pink lips pulled into a worried frown. Sean steps closer, resting his chin on Mark's shoulder.

"People in the comments and shite. People on the internet in general. They've been sayin shite about the IRLs, how they should be recalled and destroyed, how they're nothin but unthinkin machines. And it's not true! Look at you! You're yer own fuckin person, Mark. Ye got a personality and sense of humor, you’re kind and funny and thoughtful," he pauses, trailing off as he gives another sigh, squeezing Mark tighter. Mark returns the hug, waiting for Jack to continue.

"But that's not all. They were sayin stuff about me. About how I'm just another celebrity with a fancy new toy, how wrong and unfair and horrible it is, to have someone doin all my shit for me, doin my work while I do shite. And it just got to me. I know ye want to help but I always worry that I'm pilin too much on ye, that I should be responsible for myself, and readin those things back, it just.." He pauses, squeezing him tight as he takes in a shaky breath, regaining composure. "It just made me feel so fuckin guilty. Like I don’t deserve it. I don’t deserve you. You’re amazing, Mark. There is nothing else in this world like you. How the hell did I get so fuckin lucky to have you dropped into my life? Do I even deserve it? Do I deserve _you?_ "

He goes quiet then, trying to keep his sniffling down, wishing he could stop his voice from breaking as he spoke into Mark’s shoulder. Mark rubs his back, allowing him to calm down again before replying.

"You have done absolutely nothing wrong, Sean. It is my job to care for you, and allowing me to do my job should never make you feel guilty. As for those who have attacked and hurt you," he pauses, squeezing him again, voice lowering in pitch and making Jack shiver. "I will not allow it to continue. I can easily find each and every one of those commenters, should you want me to do something about it. You do not deserve to be treated this way, and those who dare harm you will have to face me." Jack can already hear the fury in his voice, the cold rage that he tries to contain, grip a little tight as he hugs him. He pulls back, meeting Mark’s gaze, far-off and dark. He puts a hand to his cheek, relaxing when Mark leans into the touch, his broad shoulders loosening, sighing as he relaxes into Jack's hold.

"You know I appreciate that you want to help, Mark, but I don't want ye doin anything like that. I just got upset, I'm fine."

His face softens into a smile, small and fond, as Mark stands before him with eyes closed and head bowed to allow Jack's hand to run along his cheek and jaw. He puts his fingers under his chin, lifting Mark’s face, the android’s eyes opening and instantly meeting Jack’s gaze.

Jack pauses, taking in every inch of Mark’s perfectly manufactured face, the soft eyes and sharp jaw, the crooked smile that looks unsure but content sitting on soft lips. Jack's thumb runs along black stubble, feeling the way each short hair moves under his touch, how the skin gives under the light pressure he applies with his thumb.

He gets lost in soft brown eyes and an equally soft smile, not sure who moves first when he realizes they're slowly moving closer, heart thrashing against his ribs as his eyes slide shut and he leans in to kiss him.


	15. Puppy Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is for an anon who asked for Jack getting Google a dog!! I thought it was a super cute idea, so I hope it turned out alright! hope you like it anon!!

Mark is pacing around the apartment, reorganizing and recleaning every available surface while he waits anxiously for Sean to return. It's been a couple hours since his administrator left the house in a hurry with little explanation, saying something about going out to town to get something at the store. Mark is left to worry and clean, wishing he had some idea of where he could be or what he's doing.

He's just finished folding and putting away the last of Sean’s laundry when he hears the door open, Sean calling for him from down the stairs. Mark hurries toward the living room, surprised when he finds Jack somewhat hidden behind the couch, crouched over something. Mark pauses, making his presence known as he calls to Sean.

"Sean? Where have you been? Do you need some assistance?"

Sean turns to look back at Mark over his shoulder, smiling and at ease as he pulls something from what looks to be a small plastic crate or box.

"Come here, Mark, I wanna show ye somethin."

Mark steps forward, crouching beside Sean. He looks to his administrator before looking to whatever he's holding in his hands, something small and furry and moving. Sean notices Mark looking toward whatever's in his hands, smiling as he moves his cupped hands toward Mark.

In his palms sits the smallest, fuzziest puppy Mark has ever seen. A pomeranian, only a few inches long and nothing but fluff, nibbling lightly at one of Sean’s thumbs. Mark looks to the puppy before looking back to Sean, who's smile is bright and dazzling as he looks from the puppy to Mark.

"I got her for you. I know ye told me ye get lonely sometimes when ye can't be with me all the time or when I have to leave, and I thought she might do ye some good, keepin ye company."

Mark nods, eyes falling back on the tiny black ball of fur in Sean’s hands. Sean lifts his hands to Mark, waiting until Mark cups his own larger hands before carefully depositing the tiny puppy into Mark’s hands.

Mark watches, awestruck, as the tiny little dog squirms and moves, looking around with large round eyes, a tiny pink tongue popping out as the puppy pants, snuggling into Mark’s cupped palms.

"Sean, you didn't have to do this. Are you sure we can keep her?" he asks, moving his thumbs to pet the sides of the puppy's face lightly. Her eyes close as she leans into Mark’s touch, and Mark’s sure that his heart would melt if he had one.

Mark looks up, grinning when Sean nods with a smile still on his face.

"Of course. I'll help take care of her with ye, and I got everything we need to take care of her while I was out."

Mark can’t contain his smile, leaning forward and kissing Sean with a huge smile, the puppy shifting in his hands.


	16. Bedrest

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> for an anon who asked for Anti, Mark, and dark taking care of a sick/injured Jack! hope you like it hun!!

Anti finds himself outside of McLoughlin’s body. It's been days since Jack first got sick, and Anti's finally pulled himself out of his host's body to see what the hell is going on.

Anti hovers over the bed, looking down at Jack, curled up on the bed. He’s asleep, brows scrunched and frowning, cold sweat on his brow and skin even paler than usual. Anti huffs, knowing he'll need help if he wants Jack to get better.  Even if he doesn't particularly like the mortal, he needs his host body to be healthy. He sighs, sliding back inside Jack’s mind and forcing his eyes open, hands slow and shaking as he reaches for the phone to call Fischbach.

Mark and Dark arrive in record time, Mark hurrying to Jack worriedly as Dark tries to push forward and gain control, intent on talking to Anti. Anti slips out of Jack's body again, standing like a shadow, dark and corporeal beside Fischbach.

"He’s been like this for days. I'll need yer help to get him better."

Mark glares at Anti, hand grasping Jack’s like it'll do anything. "Why would you care if he gets better? This isn’t some trick, is it?"

Anti would roll his eyes if he still had them. "No. My host body needs to be strong if I'm gonna do anythin," he replies, Mark glaring at Anti, studying him before turning back to Jack.

"He needs medicine and water for now. And we need to get him out of this fever."

Anti nods, turning to head to the bathroom to grab supplies, coming back minutes later with a cold washcloth and medicine, handing them to Fischbach. He takes them immediately, putting the wet clothes on his forehead before pouring out a couple tablespoons of the thick liquid, lifting Jack’s head. McLoughlin’s eyes flutter open, squinting and frowning in the low light of his bedroom.

"Here, Jack. You need some medicine."

"Mark?" Jack asks, voice raspy and quiet.

"Yeah, I'm here. Open up, take your medicine."

Jack leans up enough to drink the meds, sitting back against his pillows as soon as he's done. Mark sets the medicine aside, turning back to Anti's shadowy form.

"Has he eaten anything recently?"

"Not that I know of. He’s been pukin and shite every time I've seen him try."

"Does he have any bread or crackers? He needs to eat plain things, something easy on his stomach."

"What do I look like, his fuckin nurse? Why don't you do it, pretty boy?"

Mark looks about to argue before Dark slides out to stand beside Mark, stalking past Anti.

"I'll get it."

He leaves, leaving Mark to hover over Jack and Anti to stand aside, waiting to see how this turns out.

There's a lot more puking, medicine, fussing, and fussing, but by the end of the night Jack looks less like he'll die at any moment, and Anti sleep like the dead with Dark wrapped around him, Mark snoozing in a chair beside Jack’s bed.

By the next day Jack wakes and is significantly better, and Anti thanks Dark and Mark begrudgingly. The rest of the day is spent with them all, and Anti will never admit to enjoying a second of the day no matter what anyone says to the contrary.


	17. Trying to Forget Everything That Isn’t You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _"I'm not going home alone_   
>  _Cuz I don’t do too well on my own"_
> 
>  
> 
> **"7 Minutes In Heaven (Atavan Halen)" - Fall Out Boy**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> for assbutt-of-the-readers, who gave me the words golden, snicker, surprise, catch, and creak and Anti/Mark as a request! hope you like it hun!! sorry it took so long to finish!!

Anti's not known for his kindness. He's not one for lovey-dovey words or praises. But as golden rays of sunlight warm the room in soft light, he allows his gaze to soften, and his hand to run softly through the crimson hair of the man sleeping beside him. Mark is asleep on his stomach, bare shoulders rising and falling in slow, steady breaths, face turned away from Anti.

Anti looks over the marks he left the night before, bruises and bite marks matching the shape of his lips and teeth coloring Mark’s neck and shoulder. His hair is a mess, falling haphazardly across the pillow as he sleeps soundly.

Anti runs pale fingers through bright red hair, twirling it through his fingers. He contemplates letting Mark sleep, but he needs to leave again soon, and he'd rather give him a proper goodbye before he has to go again. He leans down, leaving soft kisses along Mark’s shoulder.

"Mark," he hums against his skin, voice soft in the warm light of sunrise and the calm of Mark’s bedroom. Mark barely reacts, giving a faint hum in acknowledgement, obviously still asleep. Anti grabs him by the shoulders, turning his body to face him with great effort, though Mark does little more than snuggle further into the sheets and pillow. Anti takes his shoulder, shaking slightly.

"Mark, I have to go soon. Get up."

A huffed whine, warm brown eyes still hidden behind closed lids and long, dark lashes. Anti frowns, leaning down toward Mark's neck again before biting down on soft skin, hearing Mark’s sharp intake of breath and feeling him stiffen under him, obviously surprised. Anti kisses the bite marks in apology, just barely containing a laugh at the dark tint to Mark's face and his eyes wide in shock. Anti sits up, smirking down at him.

"Morning, _a mhuirnín_ ," he hums, voice soft with affection. Mark takes a breath, face softening into a smile.

"Morning, Anti. What are you still doing here? Don't you need to do something today?" he asks, concern coloring his gruff voice and pulling his brows down. Anti shrugs.

"Yeah, but not for a couple more hours. Thought I'd say a proper goodbye before I left."

Mark grins, soft and sleepy, looking more radiant than the warm sunlight coloring his honey skin and bright smile, his eyes shining and beautiful, soft and warm. Anti leans down, stealing a kiss from his lips before muttering something about coffee, getting up to make a couple mugs and try to stop the soppy musings flowing slowly in his mind with little success. He turns around, looking Mark over before leaning over and slapping his ass, snickering as Mark yelps in surprise, tossing a pillow after him as Anti heads to the kitchen.

A few minutes and two cups of coffee later, Anti returns, handing Mark his steaming mug and sitting beside him, backs leaning against the headboard as they slowly drain the caffeine, sitting in companionable silence.

Eventually they finish their mugs, Anti taking the cups to the kitchen and rinsing them out before heading back to bed. Mark is laying on his back, eyes falling on Anti as he steps in, smile soft on his face as Anti heads toward him, dropping on the bed. Mark catches him in his arms with a huff of a laugh, grinning as his arms snake around Anti’s frame, hugging him tight. Anti allows himself to smile, though he hides it in the crook of Mark’s neck, turning to leave a few lingering kisses up his jaw to the corner of his mouth.

Mark grins against his lips, kissing back lazily, eyes still hooded when Anti pulls back.

Anti sighs against his lips, head bowing and forehead resting against Mark’s. "I don't wanna leave," he grumbles, Mark's smile even wider as he leans up to kiss him again.

"You don’t have to, if you don't want to," Mark smiles, Anti's lips turning up on one side.

"Yeah, but I'm not about to lose a chance to get some extra money. How am I gonna wine and dine ye if I don't go?" he smirks, Mark pulling him closer as he shifts his arms around Anti’s back.

"You know I don't need anything fancy. I keep telling you that," Mark grumbles, smile still firmly planted on his face as he leans up to kiss Anti softly.

"Doesn't mean I don't like givin it to ye. Ye deserve the world," Anti replies, Mark's eyes going soft as he leans up to kiss him again.

"But I want you to stay," Mark whines, Anti's arms coming around to hug him back.

Anti hums, leaning down to kiss him again as his mind wanders. He doesn't necessarily have to leave right now. He could take a little longer to spend time with Mark. Mark seems to sense Anti's waning resolve, grinning as he leans up to kiss him more fervently.

"Stay," he murmurs between kisses, and Anti's weak to that voice, to the smile on his face and the softness of his eyes. The bed creaks as he shifts, laying on his side as Mark turns to face him, smiling as Anti kisses him. The job can wait. He stays.


	18. The Captain of This Ship

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is for galaxyghosty who asked for Felix third wheeling a date with Jack and Mark. hope you like it hun!!

When Jack had texted Felix saying he was going to dinner with Mark, he hadn't meant it as an invitation for the Swedish Youtuber to join them. But when he showed up at his hotel room door, grin bright and excited to spend more time with the both of them, Jack couldn't turn him away.

Mark came by a few minutes later, a single flower in his hands and a smile on his face. Jack had completely forgotten about their friend waiting in his room until Jack jolted forward with the force of Felix's arm thrown around his neck, cooing over how adorable they were before pulling Jack out the door, snaking his other arm around Mark's waist as Jack locked the door behind them before being whisked away, Felix babbling excitedly as they made their way to the elevator and out to Mark's car. Jack saw the questioning look Mark gave him over Felix's shoulder but all Jack could do was shrug, hoping to make it up to his boyfriend later as they headed to the car.

Mark set the GPS to the restaurant they'd decided on while Jack called the restaurant and requested an extra seat, Felix practically bouncing with excitement from his seat in the back. As soon as the call was over Felix leaned forward, chin and arms resting on the back of Jack’s seat as he began asking about Jack’s con so far, grinning and laughing as they soon started telling Mark about some of the fun they'd had so far. Felix led the conversation, going on about the new video he'd done with some of the guys from the Revelmode panel, Mark grinning as he listened, laughing along with the story. Mark had just started telling Felix about his panel when they pulled up to the restaurant, finding a spot and heading inside, Mark's hand finding Jack’s and giving it a small squeeze before they were led to their table.

The restaurant was a nice one, with low light and plenty of space between tables, giving the patrons more privacy. Jack sat across from Mark, hand coming up to hold his over the table as they all took their menus, soon ordering drinks before trying to decide on food. Felix talked the entire time, obviously still bouncing with excitement from the con, grinning brightly as he looked over the menu. Mark looked toward Jack before looking to Felix, and Jack hoped Mark wasn't annoyed or angry that Felix had invited himself to their date, even if he hadn't been aware that he was intruding.

"Where's Marzia? Didn't she come with you?" Mark asked during a short lull in conversation, Felix looking up before looking back to his menu, smile fond at the mention of his girlfriend.

"She had a headache, so she turned in early for the night. I was hoping to take her out on a date but I didn't want to make her go out when she wasn't feeling well. I'll see if we can do something tomorrow though," Felix replied, setting the menu down before turning to face Mark fully.

"So, I heard Wade finally proposed?" Felix grinned, referring to the beginning of Mark’s panel. Mark grinned, soon going into detail about the day they'd all gone to the mall, where Wade had bought the ring, and the time backstage before the big moment.

"We were all so nervous before we went out. Wade was fine, but I was a mess. I've never been so nervous before a panel," Mark grinned, Jack nodding along with a smile as he set his menu down, turning his full attention to the conversation.

"I just didn’t want to mess up the proposal! And it was so sweet, Molly was so happy and surprised. You should have seen Wade, he just flopped on the couch after and he was so drained from all the nerves and everything. It was so sweet, I'm just so glad it went well," Mark grinned, Jack nodding with a smile.

Soon the waitress came with their drinks, taking their orders with a smile before leaving the three to continue talking about their experiences at the con, going on about the signings and panels.

Dinner was brought over and Jack grinned as Felix went on about his photoshoot with PJ, thumb running absently over Mark’s knuckles as they ate. Dinner seemed to fly by, and soon the three had paid their check and were heading back to the car with full stomachs and wide smiles, stomachs aching from laughing so much. They drove back to the hotel where they were all staying, Mark and Jack saying quick goodbyes to Felix as they got out on their floor, Felix giving Jack a quick hug and telling him that he'd text him later. Jack agreed before heading into the hall, Felix giving them a grin and a wave as the elevator doors shut between them, Mark and Jack heading to their rooms hand in hand.

"Yer not mad that Felix came along, are ye?" Jack asked as they stopped in front of Mark’s room, the American smiling as he shook his head.

"Nah, I know he didn't mean to third-wheel our date. Besides, you can make it up to me by going out with me tomorrow," he grinned, Jack chuckling as he held Mark’s hands, leaning in to give him a quick kiss.

"Thanks, love. I'll see ye tomorrow," he grinned, Mark leaning in to give him another kiss before heading to his room, smiling out at Jack before shutting the door. Jack was just getting to his room when his phone buzzed in his pocket, pulling it out and unlocking the screen.

**Felix: hey bro, thanks for having me over. and sorry if I ruined your date with markimoo, I didn’t realize you were going on a date til we got to the restaurant**

Jack shut his door behind him, toeing off his shoes and and pulling off his hoodie as he tapped out a response.

**Jack: it's no problem! we know you didn't mean any harm. it was nice hanging out with you**

**Felix: alright, just wanted to make sure I didn't come off as a dick ruining your date or anything**

**Felix: besides, I'm the captain of septiplier! I should be able to hang out with you guys and see how sickeningly cute you are together!**

Jack huffed out a laugh, texting Felix for a few more minutes before saying goodnight. He had just come back in from brushing his teeth when his phone buzzed again on his bed, finding a message from Mark.

**Mark: how does dinner and a movie sound for tomorrow?**

Jack grinned, flopping onto his bed as he tapped out a reply.

**Jack: sounds amazing. send me the details tomorrow?**

**Mark: awesome. I'll see you tomorrow. night Jack <3**

**Jack: night Mark <3**

Jack set his glasses on the bedaide table and curled up under the covers, turning the tv on low and going through YouTube comments, Tumblr asks and the jacksepticeye tag, and catching up on Twitter before finally going to bed sometime around three in the morning, excited for the day ahead.


	19. The Happy Couple

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> this is for tardisandwings on tumblr who asked for septiplier, and the request was if Mark had accepted jack's proposal at pax last year! hope you like it hun!!

Mark's done this before. He’s never been nervous standing in front of a crowd at his panels, knowing that the people here were used to his special brand of stupidity. They knew what to expect from him, and he knew that for whatever reason, they enjoyed what he did enough to attend these things.

But as he looked to Jack, small and pale in the bright lights above the stage, bright eyes staring out at the sea of people slowly being herded to their seats, he hoped that everything went well.

And for the most part, it did. Jack seemed to loosen up a little onstage, Bob and Wade making themselves right at home as they all joked and laughed. Mark laughed, and told jokes, and generally had a good time. Everything was normal and easy before Jack stepped forward, looking Mark in the eye as he began to speak.

Mark grinned as Jack proposed, hands holding an invisible velvet box as he asked to share subscribers, the crowd cheering and cooing from their seats. Jack was smiling, crooked and soft, but Mark also saw the nervousness still holding him captive. Mark smiled, nodding his head, and said yes.

They played it up, being cheesy and cutesy for the crowd, who ate it up as they cheered. Mark hugged Jack tight after pretending to put the pretend ring on, showing it off to Wade and Bob, who grinned and patted them on the backs, referring to them as 'the happy couple'. Jack grinned, looking relieved and a little embarrassed, and Mark smiled so wide his cheeks ached, happy that Jack seemed to be more at ease now.

The rest of the day was signing with the guys. They headed toward the table, a huge line already waiting for them. Mark saw the way Jack’s eyes widened as he scanned the crowd cheering for them, and before Mark could second-guess himself he grabbed hold of Jack’s hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. Jack looked to him, eyes still a little wide as he took a breath, smiling softly and squeezing Mark’s hand back in thanks.

Mark kept holding Jack's hand whenever he could, eyes often finding Jack’s to make sure he was still alright. And as Jack loosened up, smiling and laughing and hugging and talking to his subscribers, Mark's chest warmed and his smile grew, and he took Jack’s hand again just because he wanted to.


	20. Downpour

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> for sofiamps on tumblr who asked for Mark going out to do videos with team edge on a rainy day and being gone hours longer than expected, making Jack worry. she left the ending up to me so I hope you like what I came up with!!

It hadn't started raining when Mark left the apartment, telling Jack he was going over to Matthias's house to shoot some videos with Team Edge as he hurried out the door and kissed Jack goodbye with a smile. But now, hours later, the sky was dark and the rain was falling hard, the streets halfway flooded with rainwater while Jack paced around the house. Mark had texted him hours ago that he was on his way home. Why wasn't he home yet?

Jack tried to keep himself busy, cleaning around the house and recording and editing extra videos, the videos from today already uploaded. He answered comments and reblogged fanart. He read through his Twitter feed and answered asks. He kept himself busy, ignoring the way his foot bounced and the small voice at the back of his head telling him to call Mark again. He'd called twice already and Mark hadn't answered. Jack tried not to let his worries get to him, trying to reassure himself that he was worrying over nothing. It didn't help.

Jack was hunched on the couch in a blanket watching the news later that night, praying not to see Mark’s car among the stories of flooded or crashed vehicles, wishing he was home.

He was close to calling for a ride and driving out to Matthias's house to start searching when he finally heard the door open, bolting up from the couch and hurrying to the front door.

There stood Mark, dripping wet as he toed off his shoes and ran a hand through soaked hair, smiling up at Jack when he finally noticed him.

Jack walked right up to him and smacked his shoulder, Mark letting out a surprised 'ow!' before rubbing his shoulder, obviously confused. Jack ignored his puppy eyes and questioning look, wrapping his arms around his boyfriend and hugging him tightly, breathing a sigh of relief.

"I was so fuckin worried," he murmured into Mark’s shoulder, the American wrapping his own arms around Jack and rubbing his back soothingly.

"It's alright, Jack. I'm alright," Mark murmured, pulling back just enough to kiss him, pulling back again with a smile.

"I'm sorry I took so long," he apologized, leaning in to kiss Jack again as Jack finally loosened his hold, pulling back so Mark could change out of his soaked clothes, Jack's front soaked from hugging him.

"Yeah, you said you were comin home hours ago. I know it was silly of me to worry."

"No, it wasn't. I'm sorry."

"As long as you're here it's alright," Jack smiled, both men heading to their bedroom to pull on dry clothes.

"Dinner's in the oven, it's almost done," Jack said absently as he stopped at his dresser, grabbing pajamas and quickly changing out of his wet clothes. Mark hummed in acknowledgement, rustling from his side of the bed indicating that he was changing, too. Jack had just grabbed his clothes and was heading to the dryer to put them in when he stopped, Mark watching him from the end of the bed, hands behind his back.

"What's up?" Jack asked, watching as Mark took a deep breath, obviously nervous. His fidgeting made Jack nervous, stepping forward to rub his arms, hoping to calm him down.

"Ye alright, love?" he asked, Mark smiling and nodding his head, though he still shifted from foot to foot.

"Yeah, I'm alright. I actually wanted to ask you something."

Jack nodded, still rubbing his arms. "Sure, Mark. Ye can ask me anything."

Mark nodded, taking another steadying breath before stepping back out of Jack's hold, swallowing and smiling a little wider as he got down on one knee. Jack's heart seemed to stop in his chest, mind going blank as Mark moved his hands in front of him, a small velvet box opening to reveal a silver ring.

"Sean William McLoughlin, will you marry me?"


	21. Shift

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> this is for an anon who asked for Mark being turned into Dark due to an accident, and Jack being very confused when Dark, known for being violent, doesn't act like the caged animal he expected him to act like when he returns to their apartment. this was such a cute request, I hope I did it justice!!  
> warning for mentions of violence

It was a normal day as Mark walked back from the store, having just finished getting groceries for him and Jack. He was heading back to his car when he felt something press into the middle of his back, freezing when a low voice whispered harshly into his ear.

"Walk around to the side of the building and don't make a sound."

Mark knew instantly that there was a gun pressed to his spine. He swallowed, nodding his head as the mugger guided him toward a small alley, the barrel of the gun still pressed firmly to his back. Blood rushed to his ears, his heart pounding as they walked into the alley, far enough in not to be seen from the parking lot right away. The gunman pushed Mark away, gun aimed straight at his chest.

"Give me your money and credit cards. Don't try anything else."

Mark swallowed, nodding his head with one hand raised, the other fishing for his wallet. His hands were shaking so badly that he dropped the wallet as soon as he pulled it out of his pocket, the gunman getting increasingly angry as Mark ducked down to pick it up. The last thing he remembered was kneeling on the dirty pavement of the alley, hands shaking as he picked up his wallet. A sharp pain bloomed in his temple, and he prayed that he hadn't been shot as everything went black.

-

Jack was worried. Mark had gone out to get groceries over an hour ago, but he still wasn't back. Jack knew that Mark had only gone to get a couple things, that the trip to the store even with traffic took half this much time. Jack was pacing in the living room, worrying as a news story came on, drawing his attention.

".. The body of a young man was found in the alley of a grocery store in LA this evening. The identity of the victim is still unknown, but if any witnesses have yet to make a statement, please call your local police station.."

Jack froze, heart stopping in his chest as fear clawed at his chest, breaths coming out more shallow and quick than usual as a panic attack began to set in. He swallowed hard, shutting his eyes and focusing on slowing his breathing as he grabbed his jacket and shoes before hurrying out the door.

-

Jack took a taxi to the nearest police station, trying to get some help searching for Mark. The police informed him that there was little they could do, with no proof that Mark was actually missing, the fact that he had only been gone for a couple hours, and the fact that Mark could leave of his own free will at any time. Jack thanked the officers anyway, the men wishing him luck as he was driven back to the apartment, head bowed and shoulders slumped, feeling exhausted by the panic and fear still weighing heavily on his mind. He got to the apartment and went straight to bed, tossing and turning all night despite his exhaustion as he waited for Mark to return home.

-

Days passed.

Two more days of anxiety and fear. Two endless days of little sleep and searching for his boyfriend with little success. He called friends for help and searched for miles in all directions, went to police stations all over the area for any help they could get.

Two days, and not one sighting of Mark.

Jack was barely sleeping, hardly eating as he waited and searched and hoped and prayed. Two days filled with questions from friends and fans, asking where Mark could be. And Jack couldn't say. He was as lost as everyone else.

Jack started watching the news more and more. Between searching and calling everyone he knew, he watched the news. He searched for red hair and warm brown eyes among the steadily growing number of victims as crime began to skyrocket in the area, kidnapping, attacks, and even murders all within a few miles. Stories of a monster with bright red eyes and a wide smile, a shadow in the night that preyed on other criminals. But still he saw no sign of Mark. And at the end of each day he fell into a cold, empty bed, exhausted and scared.

Until the third night.

Jack was laying in bed, eyes shut as he willed himself to get some much-needed sleep. He tossed and turned, cuddling Mark’s pillow as he willed him to come back, to be in Jack’s arms when he woke up the next morning and for all of this to be just a bad dream.

He was almost asleep when his eyes snapped open, body seizing up as he froze, listening closely.

Someone was in the house.

Jack swallowed, pulling himself from the bed as quietly as he could, heading to the corner of the room where Mark kept a bat for protection. He took the baseball bat in hand, making his way down the hall as he listened to the noises coming from the kitchen.

He stopped at the end of the hall, peaking through the doorway into the kitchen. The freezer was open, a familiar figure hunched over, rummaging around before pulling out a frozen bag or vegetables, standing as he shut the door.

Jack dropped the bat instantly, hurrying to the fridge and to the shadowed form of his boyfriend, who turned to look at him over his shoulder, bag still in hand. Jack could barely make out the slope of his nose, the dim light from a single light above the counter reflected in those beautiful almond eyes.

"Mark-" Jack finally got out, voice shaking with unshed tears as he wrapped his arms tightly around the other, hugging him for dear life.

"Mark, I was so fuckin worried. Where the hell have you-"

He stopped, finally having stepped back enough to look him in the eye. He froze as crimson eyes bore into him, the same eyes described by the survivors of the attacks all over the city. And Jack knew that despite the way he looked, the person or thing in front of him wasn't Mark.

The person in front of him paused, recognition flashing in his eyes as he dropped the bag from a swelling gash above his eye and rushed to Jack, wrapping him in a tight hug as he nuzzled the side of his neck just like Mark would.

_"Jack."_

His voice was a little deeper than Mark's, and so filled with relief that Jack had to swallow back a lump in his throat, positive that Mark was still there. Jack wrapped his own arms around Mark’s shoulders, rubbing his back as he wondered what the hell he was supposed to do with this person that wasn't quite his boyfriend.

-

The person that introduced himself as Dark ended up falling asleep in bed with Jack, arms wrapped around him and forehead resting between Jack’s shoulder blades. Jack was wide awake, afraid to fall asleep in case this was all just a strange dream.

Jack knew that the body wrapped around his was Mark’s. The person holding him had Mark’s body and voice, but he wasn't Mark. He was the monster cutting through criminals in the dead of night. He was the shadow with red eyes scaring the shit out of everyone in the state. Yet with Jack, he was as docile as a lamb. He cuddled him and murmured sleepily into the Irishman's shoulder. He fell asleep with Jack in his arms, and had not once tried to harm Jack or do anything but hug him close.

And despite the stories, despite the articles and headlines and every bit of flimsy evidence pointing to this person, Dark, as a monster, Jack felt safe in his arms.

Eventually, Jack fell asleep, and when he woke up the next day, he was met with warm brown eyes and a million little kisses all over his face as Mark, _his_ Mark, held him close, all signs of the red-eyed monster gone.


	22. An Artist and His Muse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> this is for buslimpan, who asked for septiplier where one is the artist and the other is the artwork that comes to life

Jack woke with a start, eyes wide in the dim light of sunrise as he sprang out of bed and hurried to his studio. He'd had the dream again. The same dream that had plagued him for days, with the same red-haired stranger. Every time Jack had woken up he could never quite replicate the face of the man haunting his subconscious, but as he grabbed his paints and began sketching a quick outline, he was determined to get the portrait right this time. To finally let his mind have a rest and get the face onto paper.

Hours flew by as Jack sketched and then began painting, colors warm and vibrant as he painted for hours on end.

It was midday by the time he finally stopped to get coffee, stomach rumbling as he stepped back from the half-finished painting of a kind-eyed stranger smiling out at him from his canvas.

Jack brought his brunch into the studio, eating in silence as he looked over the painting. He wondered where he had seen the face before, the soft brown eyes and fiery hair. The face was unfamiliar to him, yet he couldn't keep the man out of his dreams. Where had he seen him before? Why couldn't he get his face out of his head?

He looked into the warm, bright eyes, the color of rich coffee. He looked over the smile, bright and genuine, beautiful in a way that he wanted to keep in his mind and heart for the rest of his days. He let his mind wander as he stared at the painting idly, finishing his breakfast and taking a sip of coffee.

"Where have I seen you?" he mused quietly, lips kissing the rim of his mug as he murmured into the empty space of his small studio, alone except for the painting sitting a few feet in front of him.

"Maybe the coffee shop? That's the only place I've really been for the past few days," he mused.

"That and Marzia's shop," the painting replied, and Jack nodded along before his eyes went wide, dropping his mug to the wood floor beneath him, spilling the last dregs of coffee at his feet.

He stared, silent and wide-eyed, as the man from the painting smiled a little wider, crooked and dazzling. Jack wondered if the paint fumes were finally getting to him, if he had somehow fallen asleep again. But the warm coffee seeping under his feet felt too real. The smell of the paint and coffee, the lingering aroma of breakfast and the taste still coating his tongue. He was awake. He was awake, and his painting was talking to him.

"Maybe you should go outside, get some fresh air," the stranger on his canvas smiled, Jack nodding his head, too shocked and confused to reply. He stood, mopping the coffee up with an old rag and taking his dishes to the kitchen, dropping them off and running cold water over his face as he tried to get a grip on reality. He headed back upstairs to shower and get dressed, grabbing a sketchbook and his wallet before heading out to see Marzia and Felix, and hopefully the red-haired stranger from his dreams.

He smiled as he stepped inside the small shop, Marzia grinning and giving him a quick wave from behind the counter when she saw him step in the shop. He smiled, waving back before taking a seat at a small table near the back windows, the light perfect for sketching. He doodled while Marzia finished taking orders at the counter and the last of the customers left, one by one, leaving Jack alone with Marzia, Felix most likely out doing deliveries.

"How are you, Jack?" Marzia called as she restocked the display counter, Jack looking up from his sketch of a now familiar red-haired stranger to smile back at the shop owner.

"Good. Had to get out of the house, though," he grinned, Marzia smiling back as she nodded.

"Yeah, we haven't seen much of you! Working on something?"

"Yeah, actually. A new portait."

"Ooh! Anyone I know?"

"Maybe. It's a guy I've been seeing in my dreams for the past few days."

"Oh?" she grinned coyly, and Jack let out a huff of a laugh.

"Nothin bad. I don’t know who he is, though."

"Hm. Is he a friend of a friend or something?"

"Maybe, I'm not sure."

Marzia nodded, wiping down the counters. "Well, I hope you figure out who it is! What does he look like?"

"Kind of tan, with black and red hair and warm brown eyes."

Marzia's eyes widened, mouth falling open as recognition colored her face, about to speak when the bell above the door rang again, pulling her attention to the new customer. She grinned, and Jack turned, eyes widening when he saw familiar red and black hair, the corner of a smile that had plagued his thoughts for almost a week straight.

"Hey, Marzia."

"Hey Mark! The usual?"

"Yeah, if that's alright."

"Of course! Jack, your order's almost ready!" Marzia called, Jack frowning in confusion. He hadn't ordered anything. He was about to say so when he noticed Marzia motioning for him to come over, looking from Mark to him again. Jack swallowed nervously, looking to the back of the head of his latest muse as he stepped up to the counter, Marzia already handing him a chocolate cupcake as she started making coffee.

"Mark, have you met our friend Jack? He was just telling me about a new project he's been working on," Marzia grinned, the stranger, Mark, turning to face Jack fully, the Irishman's cheeks feeling warm and his stomach swooping as the man from his dreams gave him a bright, beautiful smile.

"What kind of project?" Mark asked, Jack fiddling with the paper of the cupcake in his hand as he willed himself to calm down.

"A portrait. I'm an artist."

"Really? That's amazing! I wish I had the patience for something like that. Who's the portrait of?"

Jack could feel his cheeks heating up, relieved as Marzia handed Mark and Jack each a cup of coffee, answering for him.

"It's actually of someone he didn't know! Jack was telling me he'd seen the man in his dreams for the past few nights, but wasn't sure who he was."

Mark's eyebrows rose, nodding his head with a smile still gracing his lips.

"That's really interesting. How is it going?"

"Pretty well. I was working on a second coat of paint when I decided to take a break and come here," Jack replied, nodding in thanks to Marzia as he took his coffee.

"I'd love to see your work sometime, if that would be alright. Marzia and Felix have actually mentioned you before, they say you're really talented."

"I'd like that," Jack grinned, Mark's smile brightening as he nodded his head.

"Awesome. Shit, I gotta go. Here, let me give you my number, text me," Mark grinned, writing his number on the back of his receipt and handing it to Jack with a nervous smile.

"I'll see you later?" he asked, voice hopeful. Jack grinned, nodding his head.

"Yeah, definitely."

Mark's smile grew twice as big, nodding his head and saying goodbye to Jack and Marzia before heading back outside, a smile still pulling at the corners of his mouth as he walked away. Jack took a steadying breath, looking to the number scribbled onto the paper in his hands as Marzia squealed beside him, shaking his shoulder excitedly. Jack grinned, unable to wipe the smile from his face for the rest of the day.


	23. Unreal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> implied nsfw content here guys! this is for an anon who asked for google/anti with Anti saying something rude and having to make up for it. thanks so much to assbutt-of-the-readers for the joke idea, I hope you like it anon!!

When Anti first met McLoughlin’s metal boyfriend he hadn't been all that interested. He was a machine, cool and efficient, with sharp eyes and a flat tone that only seemed to irritate Anti to no end. But as the weeks had gone on, with a visit from Anti once every few days, he grew to like the android just fine.

It was on one of these visits, legs tangled and intertwined on McLoughlin's bed as Anti hovered over Mark, hands tangled in surprisingly realistic synthetic hair as their lips pressed together. Anti pulled away when his frustratingly human lungs screamed for oxygen. He pulled away with a huff, Mark’s lips leaning up to steal quick kisses between breaths, Anti's acid green irises burning metaphorical holes in Mark’s synthetic skin.

"You're clingy today," Anti observed quietly, smirk pulling up higher on one side as Mark peppered his stolen lips with kisses.

"I've missed you," he replied easily, leaning up to plant another quick kiss on the corner of the demon's lips again.

"You can be a real sap sometimes, for a machine," he grinned slyly, kissing the android a little longer before pulling away again.

Mark shrugged his shoulders lightly. "I can't help it, you make it quite easy to miss you."

Anti's lips quirked up higher, one bushy eyebrow rising in disbelief.

Mark seemed to notice the look Anti was giving him, settling back against the pillows as his pretty features twisted into a look of confusion.

"What?"

Anti shrugged his shoulders much like Mark had just moments before, smirk still stretched over his lips.

"Just how yer voice is. That android tone."

Mark continued to look confused, Anti's face falling into an expressionless mask, much like the one Mark wore most of the time. " 'You make it quite easy to miss you'," Anti repeated in monotone, face splitting into a smile again as Mark pouted up at him, eyebrows drawing together in annoyance before a pillow came up to hit Anti lightly on the side of the face, the demon laughing as he rolled away from the attack.

He was still grinning as he settled on his side beside Mark, the android still frowning as he glared up at the ceiling, avoiding Anti's gaze even when Anti leaned close, getting into his personal space to regain his attention.

"Aw, baby, don't pout. Ye know I love ye."

Silence, Mark's gaze unwavering as he continued to glare at the ceiling directly above his head.

 Anti leaned over him again, capturing his lips in a slow kiss, grinning when Mark reciprocated easily, the two leaning close and soon getting lost in slow kisses and soft touches, ending up with nothing but love bites and the sheets pooled around bare hips, hair mussed and breaths ragged.

Anti was snuggled up against Mark’s chest, a toned arm wrapped around slim, pale shoulders. Anti's blissed-out mind wandered slowly before a thought popped into his head, his shoulders shaking in silent laughter as a grin settled on his face. Mark turned his face toward him, raising an eyebrow in a silent question.

" 'You make it quite easy to miss you'," he murmured, voice monotone and smile still present before Mark pushed him off the bed, the demon dragging the sheets with him as he landed on his ass with a thump.


	24. Guardian

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> this is for an anon who asked for google/Jack, with google going out to look for jack when he's late and finds that some people are harassing him

You're pacing around the apartment, reorganizing and cleaning every surface over and over as you wait impatiently for Sean to return home. He said he was only going to the store down the road, that he would return within ten minutes.

It's been close to half an hour, now.

You continue pacing, looking up the routes he could have taken to and from the store and even going so far as to look into the security camera footage from today. You watch as Sean strolls in, hood up and head low, his pace quick as he heads toward the back to get a drink and some other things, grabbing candy on the way to the register. He speaks to the cashier briefly, a small queue of young men starting behind him before he leaves just as quickly as he came. You watch as one man stays in line, the other two heading outside after your administrator, walking quickly.

You switch to the cameras outside the store, watching as the two men hurry after a retreating figure you know to be Sean's. He looks behind him, turns a corner into an alley that leads toward his apartment complex, and disappears around the corner. But so do the two others.

You need to find Sean.

You hurry out the door, keeping to sidestreets and more unpopulated areas away from anyone that may view your jerky, quick gait as suspicious. You don't have the time or patience to be questioned about your whereabouts, and you know how uncomfortable Sean gets whenever you go outside the apartment. You hurry to the same alley you saw Sean disappear into, looking around quickly before hearing voices, low and threatening, coming from across the way. You follow the sounds, stepping into the mouth of another dead-end street, and stop dead in your tracks.

Three men surround a familiar tuft of soft green hair, looming over Sean with their backs to you, blocking you from him. You hear their low, hissed threats, the largest of the three ordering Sean to give them everything he has. You can imagine his wide blue eyes and shaking hands, his voice shaking as he tells them he has nothing on him, that he has nothing to give and he just wants to go home. They loom ever closer, growling obscenities in gruff tones as one of the men reach an arm out to grab him. Your vision goes red, and before you're aware of it you're moving.

You toss the man toward the mouth of the alley, yanking him by his shirt and easily throwing him aside, the other two quickly turning on you as Sean's wide eyes meet yours. They're damp with unshed tears, his hands are shaking as turn to the others, jaw clenched and nerves buzzing, hands itching to eradicate the vermin who would dare to even think of hurting Sean.

But before your hands snap up to tear open their throats, before you break their fragile mortal bones like toothpicks and make them beg him for forgiveness, a hand comes up to your face, pulling your eyes away from the people who you so desperately want to harm.

Sean's eyes stare into yours, his warm hand soft on your cheek. A thumb runs along your cheekbone, and when you try to look over his shoulder at the attackers he turns your face back to him, his other hand coming up to hold the other side of your face, keeping you from facing them as he steps inbetween. His eyes don't leave yours, and you watch as he swallows, his hands no longer shaking, voice firm as he speaks.

"Go."

You tense, thinking he's speaking to you, but you soon realize that he's warning the men, the ones that threatened to harm him. He's protecting them from you.

Your head jerks, and you want to pull away, body and mind warring against each other, wishing to stay in his warm grip but also wanting so badly to rip the men apart. In the end, you turn your gaze back to him, to the cool pools of his eyes that never fail to make you feel as if you're falling. Echoes of footfalls bounce down the alley, getting further and further away, but Sean still holds you, his eyes never leaving yours.

He sighs, long lashes coming to rest against high cheekbones, before he looks back to you, leaning up enough to kiss you softly.

"Let's go home," he murmurs against your lips, his breath ghosting against your skin. You nod, and he takes your hand, leading you back home.


	25. Felix

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> for an anon who asked for google/Jack with Mark getting jealous when Jack tells him about felix

One week.

Sean told Mark weeks ago about his planned trip to London, packing his bags with a huge, bright grin as he babbled on about their plans.

Mark tried to ask to go more than once, but Sean only told him that he would be back soon. So for that week, he waited. He looked up social media pertaining to either Youtuber, checking in as much as he could. He cleaned every surface, watched the videos he and Jack had made in the days leading up to the trip.

Seven days and several hundred hours later, and Sean finally returned home from his visit with Felix Kjellberg, known as Pewdiepie to his 48,343,104 subscribers. Mark was just putting a load into the washing machine when his head snapped up at the sound of the front door opening, Sean’s voice ringing down the hall and cutting through the silence that had been left in his wake since he left.

"Mark? I'm back!"

Mark was in the living room before Sean had even finished shutting the door behind him, the man turning to find his android hurrying toward him. Mark pulled him into a tight hug, Jack's laugh bubbling from between his lips, surprised and pleased by the sudden show of affection.

"Hey. Yeh alright?"

Mark nodded, squeezing him for a second as he burrowed his face against the side of Sean's neck.

"I missed you."

Sean paused, going still for a second before his arms wrapped around Mark, pulling him closer. After a few more seconds they finally pulled apart, Sean’s smile small and fond as he took his suitcase and headed to his room, Mark trailing close behind.

-

"... And Marzia was so sweet and welcoming, they were both so amazing," Sean went on, babbling happily about his trip with Felix and Marzia as he sat between Mark's legs, back pressed against Mark's chest, the android's arms wrapped around his administrator's slim chest. He'd been going on about the trip for a while now, and it would have been much more enjoyable to hear the happiness in his tone and see the dazzling smile on his face if it weren’t for the subject matter, which left Mark feeling somewhat unhappy. Like a muted anger, uncomfortable and unpleasant. He couldn’t tell what the emotion was, but he stayed silent, not wanting to bring down Sean's mood with his own sour attitide.

"Felix and I even did this photo shoot with Edgar, like a family portrait almost. It was fuckin hilarious," Sean giggled, his torso shaking with quiet laughter. Mark hummed in return, staying quiet as he carded a hand through Sean's hair.

After a few seconds of silence Sean sat up, pulling out of Mark's embrace and turning around to look back at him.

"Okay, what's wrong? Yeh've been silent almost the whole time I've been talkin about this."

Mark's face remained expressionless, unsure how to voice the uncomfortable feeling that left him silent and unhappy. He didn't want to fess up to the bad mood, moving his gaze from Sean’s bright eyes to a stray thread hanging off the hem of the shirt he was wearing.

Sean continued staring, though Mark didn't meet his gaze.

"Yer jealous."

Mark’s head snapped up, a small frown pulling at his lips. Sean's face was calm, one thick eyebrow sitting just higher than the other in a muted look of disbelief or surprise.

"What would I have to be jealous of?" Mark questioned, maintaining a cool, uncaring tone.

"Felix. Yer fuckin jealous of me goin on about having fun with Felix."

Mark stayed silent, synthetic mind running through the feeling sitting heavy in his chest, the definition of jealousy passing through his mind as his eyes stayed on Sean's slightly incredulous face.

"Mark. Mark, come on," Sean murmured, pulling Mark’s attention from his musings to the face of his administrator, a smile curling the corners of his lips up, bright eyes crinkling slightly at the corners.

"Ye have nothin to be jealous of. You know that Felix has Marzia. And I have you."

Mark's attention was immediately on Sean at the last sentence, mind seeming to stop as he processed the words, the almost shy smile Sean was wearing as he wrapped his warm hands around the back of Mark’s neck in a loose embrace.

"Now, how about we watch a movie and cuddle a bit before dinner?" Sean grinned, Mark's lips pulling into a small smile of his own as he pulled Sean against his chest, holding him close and enjoying the proximity as a warm weight settled in his chest where his heart might have been if he were flesh and bone, muscle and tissue. He turned his head to kiss the top of Sean's disheveled green locks as they settled in to watch a movie, wrapped up in each other.


	26. Time Shenanigans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> this is for an anon who asked for 2016!Mark encountering 2013!Jack, based on an adorable drawing/comic from totoro49 on tumblr. I am seriously in love with that picture you have no idea  
> link to the awesome artwork is here: http://totoro49.tumblr.com/post/150692796015/just-woke-up-to-upload-this-what-about-jack-2013

One of Mark’s favorite things to do around Jack was make him blush. He loved making him laugh, he loved making a wide smile brighten his baby face, but seeing his pale skin burn bright red with a blush was equal parts adorable and hilarious. So when Jack agreed to come over to help him with his newest video and to hang out afterward, he was already trying to figure out how to make the Irishman blush.

A little over half an hour later, Mark was grinning from ear to ear, cardboard box in hand as he shut the front door behind him with his foot, calling to Tyler as he headed to the kitchen to grab a pair of scissors.

He tore the box open quickly, pulling out the two costumes with a grin as Tyler came trotting down the stairs, heading over with a raised eyebrow.

"What's up?"

"Go put on your costume. Jack's coming to film and help us out."

Tyler nodded, taking the wrapped costume and looking over the picture on the front, turning to give Mark a long look that Mark returned with a grin, showing him his own costume. Tyler snorted, grin wide as he shook his head and headed upstairs to change, Mark heading up to his own room to do the same.

A few minutes later Mark was dressed in a pretty revealing milk maid costume as he set up the table for the video, Tyler's voice ringing out from downstairs as the front door opened.

"Hey Jack! Mark’s probably in the office, I'll take you to him."

Mark went over to turn the camera on, centering the shot on the table in the middle of the room holding the bowl and their pumpkins, grinning as he headed around toward the table to set up their carving utensils. The sound of two pairs of footsteps were steadily drawing closer to the room he was bustling around in.

He could hear Jack and Tyler talking idly, Jack's laugh, bright and loud in the quiet house, sending a smile to Mark's face as he looked up to find Tyler stepping into the room, grinning as he looked over Mark’s outfit. Jack soon trailed in right after him, mid-sentence as he stepped in, looking from Tyler to meet Mark's gaze before his eyes wandered down to Mark’s costume, eyes widening and mouth falling open as color bloomed across his cheeks. Jack stopped completely, staring with wide eyes and a dark face, mouth hanging open like a cartoon. Mark couldn't suppress his giggle, wiggling his eyebrows at the younger man.

"Like what you see, Jackaboy?" he teased, spinning enough to make his skirt fan out and twirl around him. Jack finally seemed to realize that he was staring, cheeks growing slightly darker as he snapped his mouth shut with a click of teeth, scurrying over to the camera while Tyler stood beside Mark, smiling widely at the exchange and Jack's embarrassment.

Jack was unusually silent as he checked the camera while Tyler and Mark waited patiently, their temporary cameraman giving them the okay before Mark threw himself into the video with his usual intro, his voice bouncing off the blank walls of the near-empty room.

Mark smirked as he brought his leg up onto the table, eyes on the camera as he joked about his slightly sluttier costume compared to Tyler's full-length Snow White dress. He grinned as Jack’s face darkened, swallowing thickly as he watched from behind the camera. Mark just continued his video, focusing on trying to beat Tyler at the challenge, always acutely aware of the wide blue eyes that never drifted away from him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you guys liked it!! I wanted to throw in some halloween-y stuff and write mark in his adorable Halloween costume from the pumpkin carving video because honestly he looked adorable and I seriously love the outfit. the skirt was just so swooshy! but yeah, hope you guys liked it and I'm SO SORRY for the rushed ending!!


	27. Nerves

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> this is for tardisandwings on tumblr, who asked for septiplier first kiss. thank you so much for the kind words and I'm so sorry for the delay, I've been putting off finishing the requests for a couple days to read and other personal stuff. I hope this was as cute as you were hoping for and thank you for being so patient!!

This was it.

Mark knew as soon as he caught a glimpse of Jack’s face, cheeks dusted pink from the cold, rainwater dripping from soaked green hair into bright blue eyes, raindrops catching in long, dark lashes. This was it. The moment he'd been waiting for.

Throat dry and heart thrashing, he licked his lips, trying and failing to steady his breathing, to slow the thrumming of his heart, beating so hard against his ribcage that it was hard to breathe. But he swallowed past the tightness in his throat, moved his hand to thread his fingers through Jack’s slimmer ones, bright eyes turning from the rain falling to Mark’s face, flushed from cold and nervousness. His eyes shifted from Jack's face to a space over his shoulder as the American tried to push the words out of his chattering teeth and cold lips, Jack waiting expectantly as Mark tried to grasp at the words that swirled through his mind.

Mark’s voice caught in his throat, breathless with the beauty of the man in front of him, pale skin and a light blush, bright green hair hanging over eyes brighter and more beautiful than the sky. Mark stayed quiet, eyes subconsciously sliding to Jack’s lips, dark in the cold, as he slowly leaned in.

The first thought that entered Mark's mind was warmth. With Jack's hand in his own and their lips pressed together he completely forgot about the cold, even as water dripped onto his nose from Jack’s soaked hair. His heart felt like it would give out any minute as the breath was stolen from his lungs, feeling as if a star was forming behind his ribs, bright and beautiful.

All too soon he pulled away, trying to catch his breath, lips dark as his eyes fell on Jack’s face just inches from his own, waiting for a reaction. His lips and cheeks were even darker than before, eyes wide as he stared at Mark before his lips slowly formed the happiest grin Mark had ever seen, eyes sparkling like stars in the gloomy light bleeding from behind dark rain clouds as he leaned back in for another kiss.


	28. Unreal, pt 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> for ao3 user Azlinne who asked for Google's first time meeting Anti in the comments of chapter 23. I'd read (or re-read) that chapter before reading this one even though this takes place before that chapter in the timeline. I dunno, do what you want. hope you like it though!! warning for slight nsfw stuff I guess? just a conversation about boning

Anti almost felt bad when his host had to buy a friend. Metal and wires hidden under synthetic skin and hair, under the guise of a human. He had to admit the android was attractive by human standards, with a strong jaw and a muscular build. Anti watched from behind McLoughlin’s eyes, watched the way Mark stared openly after the human, the way he trailed around him like a good little duckling following it's mother. The whole scenario was sad and amusing all at once. Anti couldn't wait to meet him.

Days after Mark's introduction to the empty apartment McLoughlin was exhausted. Exhausted from his new position as the robot's babysitter and boss, tired from the exchanges he shared with the other. He was tired, and when McLoughlin finally fell into a deep sleep almost a week after Mark came to live with them, Anti took the opportunity to introduce himself.

He made sure McLoughlin was completely asleep before pushing to the forefront of their shared mind and taking the reins. He opened his eyes, pulling the mortal body from under the covers as he stepped out of McLoughlin’s room in search of the android.

It didn't take long. Anti stopped at the end of the short hall, Mark bustling quietly around the kitchen. Anti paused to watch him, the android moving between the dishwasher and cupboards, drying and putting dishes away in near-silence, stopping abruptly and turning his head toward the end of the hall, eyes staring intently at Anti.

"Sean?"

Anti smiled, stepping into the dim light of the kitchen, stalking into the room with slow, measured steps.

"Your boyfriend isn't here, darling."

Mark paused, studying his face as Anti drew closer.

"Who are you?"

Anti smiled at the subdued look of fear and confusion etched into Mark’s face, stopping just inches from him and looking him over closely.

"They call me Anti," he hummed, drawing pale fingers along one of the robot's arms, watching as the slight pressure pushed at the skin and whatever fake tissue and muscles hid underneath, so lifelike it was almost as if the robot were actually a living, breathing thing.

"What have you done with Sean?" Mark demanded, teeth bared and voice low, threatening. Anti grinned, suppressing a laugh.

"He’s here, don't worry. Your precious little mortal is just taking a break, sleeping off some of the stress you've been causing him as of late," Anti smirked, watching as Mark's face fell at the remark, looking genuinely regretful.

"I never meant to be a burden," Mark murmurs, low and sad like a kicked puppy, head slightly bowed.

"McLoughlin just needs to get his fucking head out of his ass and stop being such a fucking baby," Anti huffed, obviously annoyed at the way his human half conducted himself.

"What do you mean?" Mark asked, annoyance and confusion playing out over a pretty face, pulling dark eyebrows low over warm brown eyes.

"You can’t honestly think that the lonely little shit hasn't taken an interest in you." Mark blinked up at him, all wide-eyed confusion. Anti sighed. "He knows what yer doin. He's pretty fuckin good at reading people. Yer hovering and staring could have been written off at first, a totally normal curiosity and interest in being with a real human, but the offers of physical contact and shit have not gone unnoticed. He knows you like him, romantically or sexually or both, however much something like you can. He's just fuckin denying himself and you with his moral bullshit and cowardice."

Mark stays silent, probably processing Anti's statement. The demon continues.

"I've noticed you, too. I know what you want from our precious little McLoughlin, and if you have to wait for him to get over his little moral dilemma, he'll be fuckin dead and buried before he ever decides on fucking you, or the other way around. So I have a proposition for you. I'll come back every few days. If you ever want to get some from this body, you come to me. I'm sure that McLoughlin won't mind too much."

"I don't know that Sean would like that," Mark finally replied, looking unsure. Anti shrugged.

"It can be our secret. Or I can share with McLoughlin, let him get used to the idea until he finally gives up this 'better person' bullshit and let's you fuck him. We'll figure it out."

"What do you get from this? Why would you do this?"

Anti smirks. "Like I said, I've noticed you too. If he's not gonna get any that doesn't mean I can't. It's a win-win."

Mark pauses, looking to the floor as he thinks over the offer. "I'll have to think about it."

Anti smiles, already stepping back toward the hall, knowing that McLoughlin may wake up at any time. "No you won't. I'll see you in a few days," he grinned, spinning around to head back to McLoughlin’s room, laying down to sleep before McLoughlin ever realized he'd lost control.


	29. Virus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> an anon asked what would happen if Google got a virus and how Jack would react. this was definitely a bit difficult because I'm not good with computers AT ALL, so trying to figure out what might possibly happen to an android with such advanced AI if it got a virus was left to my imagination. hope you like it anyway, anon!!

Mark and Jack were curled up on the couch when they both felt a jolt, almost a buzz. At first Jack wondered if it could be his phone, but then a bigger jolt shook them both, Mark's arms tightening slightly around Jack’s waist.

Jack turned to look back at Mark, who looked just as surprised as Jack felt.

"Was that you?" Jack asked, sitting up to turn to face Mark more fully. Mark nodded, eyes far off.

"I was looking into some game reviews on the internet-" another small spasm, Mark's hands tightening and loosening their hold on Sean’s hips- "but I think I may have picked something up from one of the webpages."

Jack’s eyes widened, nodding his head. "Alright. How are we going to deal with this? Do you have a protocol for this sorta thing?"

Mark nodded, hands shaking. "I need to be put in sleep mode and have my files and history looked over on a computer synced to my hard drive."

"Would I be able to do it or should we send you somewhere?" Jack asked, mind racing. Who the hell would he send an advanced AI to? He was sure Best Buy wouldn't be equipped for this sort of shit, let alone any other computer stores or repair shops. He might have to do this on his own.

"I'm sorting through my files as we speak. I'll have the files that are corrupted in a separate place, so you just need to wipe them from the hard drive and go through a sweep of my systems, make sure nothing else is compromised. It should be very similar to a virus scan on your own computer."

Jack nodded, feeling a bit more at ease knowing what to do. "Alright. Let's head to my recording room, I'll do it on the computer in there."

Jack and Mark headed toward the recording space, Jack pausing to go grab another chair for Mark before opening up his virus scanner. A pop-up showed in the corner of his screen, requesting permission to sync an outside device with the computer. He looked back to Mark to make sure it was him, and when the android nodded Jack clicked 'Accept'.

"I'll be going into sleep mode now to allow you to do your work. Once you're finished we can both look over my files and make sure that everything is alright."

Jack nodded, swallowing back his nerves as he tried to keep a brave face. What if he missed something? What if something went wrong? Mark seemed to sense his unease, taking one of Jack’s hands in his as their eyes met once again.

"I have no doubt that you will fix this, Sean. And if it makes you feel better, we can call for someone from Google to check on me in the next couple days to make sure that everything is alright. Okay?"

"Okay," Jack nodded, some of the tightness in his chest loosening at the soft look on Mark's face as he smiled reassuringly at his administrator. Jack gave a small smile back, leaning in to plant a short kiss on Mark's lips before requesting he go into sleep mode, Mark's eyes sliding shut as he sat back in the chair, body going somewhat limp.

Jack got to work.

He sifted through and wiped all the files that Mark had filed into the 'Corrupted' file, looking through his history, search engine, and any other files he could, double-checking and making sure that nothing else had been affected.

After another scan Jack nodded to himself, making sure the damaged files were wiped completely from Mark's files and his own before turning back to Mark, shaking his shoulder slightly as he leaned in closer, speaking softly.

"Mark. Mark, wake up."

Jack watched as Mark's eyes opened, head lifting up to meet Sean’s gaze, slowly sitting up in his chair as he got his bearings.

"I think I got everything, but I still want to call somebody to make sure, alright?"

"Alright. There should be numbers to call in my manual."

Jack nodded, kissing Mark's cheek as he stood and headed for his room to retrieve the booklet he'd gotten when Mark first arrived at his doorstep weeks ago. He flipped through it as he headed back to the recording room, finding phone numbers listed near the back of the booklet and soon typing one in.

A few minutes later he hung up, having set an appointment for a technician to come within the next couple days to make sure that Mark was alright. Jack flopped into his computer chair, relief washing over him like a wave.

Mark scooted his chair closer to Jack’s, taking one of his hands again, sliding his fingers between Jack’s. Jack gave him a small smile in return, squeezing his hand lightly.

They stayed like that, sitting hand-in-hand for a few minutes, Jack's thumb running over the back of Mark’s hand before he mentioned dinner, pulling Mark up by their interlocked fingers with a smile as he led the way to the kitchen to cook something with him.


	30. Which One's Pink?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> from a request in the comments on chapter 25 from jackie javen, who asked for Dark meeting Google through Jack by accident. I seriously loved this idea and the commenter was such a sweetheart, thank you so much for the kind words and your patience you precious bean, I hope you like it!! also warning for very slight nsfw, hinting at sex stuff but nothing explicit  
> EDIT: hi guys! just wanted to specify that the relationship between Jack and Dark is completely consensual!! I really really do not like writing anything noncon, and I'm really sorry if it comes across that way in the writing! but yeah, you can read more in the comments, I explained it more thoroughly in a comment on this chapter

Jack should have known he'd be back soon.

That's the only thought going through his mind as he watches, frozen, as Dark and his Google IRL, Mark, stare each other down and size each other up, almost identical except for the hair and eyes. Mark looks angry and confused, having no idea who the man standing in front of him is or why he's here. Dark's face is impassive, as expressive as polished marble before his mouth curls up into a cheshire smile.

"This your new toy, baby?" he grins, calling to Jack with eyes still glued to Mark.

"Couldn't wait long enough for me to come home so you had one made?" he jeers, looking pleased. Mark continues to glare at him, moving toward Sean to keep the red-head away from Sean. Dark snorts at the protective gesture, grinning over the android's shoulder at the Irishman.

"Aw, baby, didn't you tell him about me? Are you ashamed of sharing with your new lover?"

Jack winces, Dark’s eyes immediately back on Mark.

"He's pretty, I'll give you that. What's your name, sweetheart?" he asks Mark, the android still blocking Dark from Sean.

"Mark."

"Not very creative, are you sweetheart?" Dark calls to Jack, Mark shifting to block the demon's view of Sean.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" Mark asks gruffly, voice low and threatening, making the air hum and Jack's body shudder at the sound.

"I just came to visit. I didn't realize I was intruding."

"Well you are. Leave."

Dark snorts, eyebrow raised and grin wide. Jack is almost relieved, praying that this doesn't escalate into a fight.

"Fine. Call me when you're not wrapped up in your new little boyfriend, baby. I'll see you soon," Dark smirks, winking before turning around and heading back out the door, the front door slamming shut behind him. Mark doesn’t move from his place in front of Jack until he pushes him enough to get by, letting out an irritated puff of air.

"Who was that?" Mark asks, looking unsettled and a little annoyed, Dark's words clearly sticking under his synthetic skin.

"Dark. He's an ass, comes by every once in a while. He's..." Jack pauses, unsure how exactly to describe Dark, a sex-hungry, bloodthirsty demon from hell that does absolutely nothing but cause Jack grief and leave him marked and boneless whenever he shows his face. Jack's face tints red at the memory, shaking his head.

"He's a handful," he finishes lamely, Mark looking unconvinced at the explanation but not pressing him for more information.

"Am I supposed to expect him to just come by whenever he wants?" Mark asks, looking even more annoyed at the idea.

"No, he probably won't come by much with you here," Jack replies, and he prays that that's what Dark will do. He can never tell what exactly the demon will do, being just as likely to stop seeing Jack altogether as he is to visiting even more just to get a rise out of Mark. Jack frowns, and before he knows it Mark's arms are wrapped around him, his body enveloped in Mark's warm embrace.

"I'm sorry that his appearance upset you. Come on, we can go watch a movie on the couch until you feel better," Mark suggests, and Jack can’t help but smile and nod, taking Mark’s hand as he leads him to the living room. The android pulls Jack close and wraps his arms around him, and for once after one of Dark's visits, Jack feels completely safe and at peace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter title is from 'Have a Cigar' by Pink Floyd


	31. Cool Patrol

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> this was from an anon who asked for either what was going through Mark or Jack’s mind during the shooting of nsp's cool patrol video or a high school au where Jack was bullied. I wanted to do both but I have a lot of writing to catch up on, so I decided to just do the music video one. hope you like it though, anon, and I'm sorry I couldn't do both!!  
> and remember, this is fiction. I didn't add amy intentionally, but I'm well aware of Mark’s actual real-life relationship as well as Jack’s, and I'm so happy that both of them are happy and that their girlfriends are happy. so yeah, just wanted to add that.

In all of his years Jack never thought that he'd be in this situation, a main actor in one of Ninja Sex Party's music videos. He had been a fan of them for years, and looked up to Dan and Brian immensely. So when they asked him if he'd want to be in one of their videos, he jumped at the chance.

So here he was in khaki shorts and a button up, tie knotted snuggly against his throat as he waited for his cue. He fiddled with his tie, running a hand through his hair as he stood outside the skating rink for the first shot, the California night air much warmer than back home. The guys playing his bullies stood at the entrance to the skating rink, talking amicably between themselves while camera men and various crew members moved between the parking lot Jack was standing in and the inside of the building, where most of the video would take place and where the band and other various actors were waiting.

Jack straightened as everyone seemed to hurry to their places, the parking lot going quiet as the main cameraman counted down. Jack counted down with him silently, soon starting his walk into the roller rink, the 'bullies' following close behind. Cameras inside the building followed his every movement as he made his way to the lockers, where the actors playing his bullies were already waiting, having gone around after the first shot to wait for him. He filmed a couple more shots, some of him getting pushed around by the bullies, and then some with Dan and everyone else before the director called for a break. Jack grinned, going over to the table Dan, Brian, Mark, Matt, and Ryan were sitting at, talking and laughing as Jack finally plopped down beside Danny, purposefully ignoring Mark, who looked too good in leather for Jack’s liking.

"Hey Sean! You're doing awesome, man!" Dan grinned, clapping him on the back with a wide grin, jolting him slightly with the force of it. Jack grinned, happy to hear that he was doing alright. This was the first time he'd ever done any real acting, and he had been a bit anxious in the hours leading up to filming.

"Thanks, man," he grinned back, turning to face the whole table when Ryan called for his attention, soon getting into a discussion on the plans for the video with Matt and Ryan while Danny and Brian went to shoot some more scenes.

Jack was watching as Dan sang in a little alcove at the side of the rink, Brian standing stoicly behind the counter just behind him. Jack huffed out a short laugh, grinning as he watched them. He didn't even notice Mark leave the table and stop a couple feet away, phone out and grinning as he tapped away at the screen before heading back to the table, sitting beside Jack with a grin as he showed him his phone.

Jack grinned at the photo of him sitting at the table, smile wide as he spoke to Ryan. He sat back, talking to Mark, Matt, and Ryan while he waited for the director to call him back for another scene.

They spent the whole night filming at the rink, Jack having to keep himself from ogling Mark or laughing hysterically when Mark, Matt, and Ryan donned tight shirts and briefs, dancing ridiculously with Dan on the rink.

By the end of the night Jack was sleepy and giddy, grinning ear to ear as the guys drove him to Matt and Ryan's, where he was staying for the time he was staying in California. He tried to ignore the way his shoulder and knee bumped against Mark’s occasionally in the back seat, sending butterflies to his belly and goosebumps all over his skin.

All too soon they were pulling up to Mark's house, the American unbuckling his seat belt and stepping out of the car with a yawn and a tired smile.

"See you later, Mark," Matt grinned from the front seat, Ryan waving from behind the steering wheel. Mark grinned over at them before his eyes moved to Jack, smile growing a bit smaller but no less genuine.

"Night, Mark," Jack murmured, Mark's smile widening slightly.

"Night, Jack. Night guys. I'll see you all tomorrow?"

"Yeah, we'll come pick you up if you want?" Ryan asked, leaning over the console toward the window Mark was standing by. Mark shook his head, still smiling tiredly.

"Nah, I can make it. I'll be by sometime late in the morning, alright?"

"Alright. Sweet dreams, Mark!" Matt grinned, Mark smiling back as he shut the door behind him, turning to wave goodbye until they pulled away, Jack turning in his seat to watch as Mark turned around and disappeared into the building.


	32. Chocolate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> for my boo buslimpan who asked for Mark and Jack planning on proposing to each other, not realizing the other was planning the same thing! hope you like it hun!!

Jack grinned from across the table at Mark in the dim light of the restaurant as Mark laughed at one of his own stupid jokes, trying to keep his voice down. It was their second anniversary, Jack pulling all the stops and reserving a seat at the back of one of the best places in town, the restaurant Mark took him to on their third date. He remembered it well, feeling out of place and underdressed even in his best suit before Mark took his hand with a smile and all of his worries melted away.

 They were just finishing dinner, Jack suggesting they get dessert and ordering for the both of them, the same desserts they'd ordered on their date here. Jack could feel his leg bouncing with nerves, praying everything went well. He'd come by earlier and made arrangements to propose to Mark here, the chef putting the ring in Mark’s cake when they ordered. Jack was trying to rehearse the speech he'd been working on in his head, trying to calm his thrashing heart and bouncing knee as Mark smiled over the table at him before getting up. At first Jack assumed he was going to use the restroom, but when he stepped closer to Jack and got down on one knee all the breath in Jack’s lungs seemed to leave him, eyes wide as he stared while Mark pulled a small velvet box out of his pocket, smiling up at him nervously.

"Sean. Ever since I met you, I knew you were special. I knew that I wanted you in my life, and that you would be very important to me. I didn't realize just how important at first, and I never dreamed that anyone could make me as happy as you do. I want to spend the rest of my life making you as happy as you make me."

Mark paused, opening the box and smiling up at Jack hopefully.

"Jack, will you marry me?"

Jack wasn't sure what kind of face he was making, but it must not have been a good one by the look of cincern on Mark’s face.

"Jack?"

Jack shut his gaping mouth, swallowing hard and nodding his head. "Yes, of course I will yeh doof," he laughed shakily, smile wide and eyes teary as he ducked down to wrap Mark up in a bone-crushing hug, laughing and crying into his shoulder.

Mark pulled back and kissed him, and Jack could feel him smiling into the kiss, knowing he was smiling as well. Mark slid the ring onto his finger, a simple silver band that fit perfectly. Jack grinned down at the ring, sitting back heavily into his seat as Mark moved back to his own chair, their hands clasping over the table. Jack almost completely forgot about his own  proposal plan until their desserts arrived, Mark's gold band poking out of the chocolate frosting on his cake, catching the low candlelight and Mark’s eyes immediately.

"What's this?..." he trailed off, pulling the ring out completely and looking to Jack with wide eyes, Jack smiling back as he gave a small shrug.

"Yeh beat me to it, yeh bastard," he grinned, no hint of unhappiness on his smiling face or in his joking tone as he watched Mark gawk at the ring pinched between his fingers, frosting clinging to the metal stubbornly.

Jack could already see Mark’s eyes shining with unshed tears, giving Jack a wide, teary smile as he gave a watery chuckle.

"Do you think you could ask me anyway?" Mark asked hopefully, Jack grinning as he nodded and plucked the ring from his hands, licking the frosting off as best he could as Mark laughed. Jack grinned before wiping the ring off, smiling as he got down on one knee at the side of the table, much like Mark had done a few minutes ago.

"Mark Fischbach, will you do me the honor of loving me and letting me love you fer the rest of our lives?" he smiled, Mark’s teary grin and small nod of the head all the answer Jack needed, shooting forward to kiss him. The kiss tasted like tears and chocolate frosting, but Jack wouldn't have it any other way.


	33. Have a Cigar

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> this is a continuation of Chapter 30: Which One's Pink? I'd suggest reading that chapter first, or skimming it to jog your memory before getting into this one!  
> this is for Teh_FemaleMoriarty who mentioned wanting more story for chapter 30 and SnailOverlord who requested more jealous Mark/Dark in chapter 30. hope you guys like it!!

Jack loved Halloween. He loved decorating the house. He loved all the awesome, funny, creative, ridiculous costumes. He loved binging scary movies and gorging on candy. But one of his favorite parts of Halloween was handing out candy to trick-or-treaters. He loved giving fistfuls of candy to cute little witches and doctors and superheroes and cartoon characters. He loved complementing their costumes and watching their cute little faces turn up into wide grins as their buckets and bags were filled with sweets. He loved it.

The past couple years, though, had been difficult. People recognized him now. He was somewhat of a celebrity, even though he hated the term, and if kids found out where Jacksepticeye lived, what would stop someone from just popping by his house one day? It had happened to friends of his before, a handful of YouTube celebrities having told similar stories in videos or at events. And even though he appreciated and loved his fans immensely, he could not allow someone to invade his privacy in that way.

So for the past couple years, Jack had been cautious around the holidays, especially Halloween. He either stayed in or wore masks, making sure no one found out where he lived when the kids came to his doorstep for candy.

This year he planned on staying in, despite how much he loved handing out candy to the kids. He was glad that his apartment building had set up a system for Halloween, with the landlord at the first floor collecting money from anyone willing to chip in and passing out candy for the whole building. Jack made sure to pitch in a good amount of money for candy, and was promised a quiet night with no distractions and no worries about fans finding his home.

It was Halloween night, and Jack was bustling around the apartment, making popcorn and setting up a queue of horror movies, already planning a long night in with Mark. Mark had never experienced this holiday, and was glued to a spot beside the window, staring out at the kids and adults alike dressed up and wandering around the neighborhood. Jack watched Mark stare out the window before an idea made him grin, setting the movies aside and hurrying to his room to grab the costumes he'd gotten for himself and Mark. He may not be able to hand out candy this year, but that didn't mean that he and Mark couldn't go for a little walk outside.

Soon enough Jack was dressed in his Spiderman costume, pulling the mask to rest on top of his head so he'd be able to speak and see more clearly as he headed down the hall toward the living room where Mark was still staring out at the street below. Jack stepped up beside him, looking out the window for a moment before handing Mark the black bundle that made up his costume, still folded and sealed in the bag Jack bought it in. Mark took the bag, looking it over before turning his confused glance to Sean.

"It's your costume. Go put it on, we'll take a walk."

Mark nodded, sparing one last glance out the window before heading down he hall to change while Jack looked out the window idly, hoping Mark wouldn’t make a scene once they were outside among so many  people. Soon enough Mark came back into the living room, the black Batman costume looking adorable on the android, messy black hair mussed by the mask sitting atop his head. Jack couldn't help but grin, smile fond as he looked Mark over.

"Yeh look great," he smiled, Mark taking a  moment to study Jack’s costume, giving a small smile in return.

"Are you ready to go on our walk?"

Jack grinned and nodded, taking Mark's hand and pulling his mask over his face to hide his identity before dragging Mark out of the apartment and down the stairs, through the lobby and out into the cool night air.

They walked down the street hand in hand, Mark staying close to Jack as he led him toward the park. He knew how much Mark seemed to dislike people, so he decided to keep the walk somewhat brief, and try to stay away from more heavily populated areas, away from crowds of partygoers and trick-or-treaters. He filled the silence with quiet conversation, telling Mark some funny stories from Halloweens passed, regaling stories of eating too much candy with his siblings and horror movies that left him terrified when he was younger.

They had made their way through the park and were heading back toward the apartment when Mark's hand tightened around Jack's, stepping closer as he stared intently at a figure making their way toward them, obscured by shadow. Jack slowed enough to try to make out the figure, drawing in a breath when he saw bright red hair.

Dark grinned as he gave a small wave, sharp white canines poking out over his bottom lip, dressed in a suit with what Jack hoped was fake blood drawing a line from his teeth to his chin. He hurried across the street toward them, slowing to the stop just in front of them with a grin.

"Evening, Jack. Mark," he grinned, nodding a greeting to Mark, who only frowned in response, moving to block Jack just barely from the demon.

"What are yeh doin here, Dark?" Jack asked, stepping aside when a small group of kids walked past them to the next house up the street. Dark watched the group idly for a moment before turning his attention back to the two men in front of him.

"Can't a guy take a walk around the neighborhood without being questioned?" he smirked, looking amused when Jack huffed.

"Yeh haven’t done anything, have yeh?" Jack asked, voice lowering in case anyone overheard. Dark just grinned in reply, shrugging his shoulders.

"If you have nothing else to say, we need to get going," Mark cut in, stepping forward with a frown. Dark feigned a hurt look, pouting his lip.

"Oh, already? I was hoping to spend some time with Jack here. It's been so long since I've seen him."

"Dark, seriously," Jack muttered, Dark frowning at Jack from over Mark’s shoulder.

"You're really gonna let this sex doll tell you who you can see? I thought you were strong and independent. What the hell happened?" Dark sneered, Jack glaring at the tone, the sneer in Dark's voice.

"Mark’s not makin me do a damn thing. I don’t want to be with yeh right now."

One dark eyebrow lifted, a look somewhere between impressed and disbelieving settling on Dark’s sharp features.

"Is that so?"

"Yes. Now leave us alone."

Dark studied Jack’s face, looking for any hint of doubt. When he found none he huffed, glaring at Mark before giving a stiff shrug.

"Fine. Happy Halloween," he called over his shoulder flippantly as he turned on his heel, stalking away and back across the street, disappearing into the darkness once again. Jack huffed out a breath he wasn't aware he'd been holding, squeezing Mark’s hand. Mark squeezed back before they both continued to Jack’s apartment, a comfortable silence falling between them as they headed up to the apartment, shedding their costumes in exchange for more comfortable clothing before coming together to watch horror movies on the couch, the apartment dark except for the light from the tv, wrapped up in each other.


	34. It Could Be Made Into a Monster

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> for Becbecbecbecbec who asked for a confrontation between Mark and Dark in the comments of chapter 33, and for Jackie Javen who was eager to see how this little story plays out (also in ch 33). warning here for violence, threats of violence and really nsfw language from Dark. I'm so sorry for how late this is, hope you guys like it!!

"Dark, get out."

Mark’s eyes slid open immediately, sitting up and quickly pulling away from the rumpled sheets toward the sound of voices, hushed and tense.

"Why? You never had a problem with me visiting before your tin boyfriend showed up."

"Just because I didn't say anything didn't mean I didn't have a problem with it. Do yeh really think I wanted yeh comin here with bloody hands and liquor on yer breath?"

Mark stepped into the kitchen, where Sean and Dark stood feet away, Sean at the stove and Dark near the door that he had most likely come in from. Mark didn't hide the disdain and annoyance most likely making itself known plainly across his features when Dark's eyes darted to him, his frown deepening as he glared at him openly.

"You didn't seem to mind it when I fucked you into your mattress."

Mark can feel something in his chest tightening as his anger grows. Dark's bright eyes slide back to him, a self-satisfied grin curling the corners of his mouth, cold and mocking.

Mark's across the room in the blink of an eye, fist clenched in the collar of Dark's ridiculously tight black t-shirt as he glares just inches from his smug face.

"You aren't wanted here. Leave before I make you."

"I could pull your fucking wires out before you even blinked, pretty boy," Dark smirks back, arms pulling back and fist clenched, ready to strike. But Mark is quicker, head tilting back before bashing his titanium skull into the bridge of Dark's nose with a resounding _crack_ , blood soon falling from his nose as he growls, stepping back with fists clenched. He swipes an arm under his nose, his blood smearing across his forearm.

"You'll regret that," Dark growls, the whites of his eyes going black as he lunges toward the android, all sharp teeth and bloodlust. But before he can lay a finger on the other Sean steps between, bright eyes cold as Dark stops short, his glare turning toward Sean.

"Get the fuck out of here, Dark."

Dark, teeth barred and nose bleeding, glares from Sean to Mark, straightening with a huff before his glare settles on Mark again, dark eyes growing cold.

"I'd be very careful if I were you, pretty boy. Few people tell me no and live very long."

Mark steps forward, a firm hand settling on Sean’s shoulder as he pulls the young man close.

"I'll keep that in mind."

Dark gives each of them one last glare, the blood flow seeming to have slowed before he turns and leaves out the door he came in, slamming it hard behind him. Mark can feel Sean shaking under his hand, pulling him to his chest and wrapping him up in his arms as he comforts him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter title from "Have A Cigar" by Pink Floyd


	35. Musings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> for my love [GalaxyGhosty](http://archiveofourown.org/users/GalaxyGhosty)  
> who asked for AntiDark and the prompt "I'm better when I'm with you"  
> hope you like it hun!!

Dark can't help but stare at the marks littering Anti's pale skin, signs that he was there, that what happened last night was real. A grin slides across his face, soft and happy, as he watches the slow rise and fall of Anti’s shoulders, sharp shoulder blades and the curve of his spine seeming to glow in the warm morning light.

Dark pulls himself closer, curling an arm around Anti’s bare waist as he scoots closer, his body warm and soft.

Dark leans even closer, nuzzling into the curve of his neck, the junction between throat and shoulder. He sighs, planting slow, soft kisses along the expanse of pale skin, smiling against his skin as he feels Anti begin to stir from sleep. He continues kissing him, feeling the sleepy hum vibrate in Anti's throat as Dark nips at his neck.

"Mornin,  _mo stór_ ," Anti hums sleepily, voice deep and accent thick with sleep, making Dark's grin grow wider as he hums into his skin, planting another kiss on the back of his neck.

"What's that mean?" Dark hums, hands sliding along bare hips and the hills of his ribcage, Anti turning over to squint up at him sleepily, face just a breath from his own.

" 'My darling', or 'treasure'," Anti murmurs after a while, a grin pulling at Dark's cheeks as he leans in to capture his lips with his own.

"God, I adore you," Dark hums, lips brushing against Anti's lips with the words as he kisses him again and again. Anti hums into the kiss, tangling a hand into the dark hair at the back of his lover's head, pulling him closer.

"You make me so much stronger. I'm so much better when I'm with you."

Anti stops, fingers curling and uncurling at the back of Dark's head as they breathe the same air, foreheads pressed together and noses brushing.

"Yer still a fuckin handful and a half," Anti smirks, jolting in surprise when Dark's hand snakes around to grab his ass with a smirk.

"But I'm _your_ handful," he grins, feeling the smile on Anti's lips as he kisses back. Anti doesn't disagree, leaving Dark grinning as they stay tangled in each other for the rest of the morning.


	36. The Eye of the Beholder

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> it's been 84 years...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> got an ask from my precious bab vaillen for googleplier/jack and the prompt "You're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."

Jack opens his eyes to warm sunlight and the feeling of a warm body wrapped around him like a blanket, his back pressed against a firm chest and a muscled arm holding him close. He shifts, sighing contentedly as he feels Mark nuzzle the back of his neck, synthetic hair tickling his neck as he presses soft kisses against his vertebrae.

"Good morning, Sean," Mark murmurs against his skin, Jack straightening his spine as he stretches languidly, rolling over to face Mark with a sleepy smile.

"Mornin, Mark," he smiles, eyelids still drooping with sleep. Mark's smile grows wider, more fond, and Jack's smile stretches wider to match.

Mark's eyes are even warmer with the first hints of sunlight peeking in through the window, his eyes mapping out every inch and pore of Jack’s face until his cheeks tint pink under the silent scrutiny, his smile turning embarrassed.

"What're yeh lookin like that for?" he asks, accent thicker with sleep, though his bright eyes seem to be staying open, fixed on the way Mark's eyes are flickering over his face.

Mark meets his gaze again, still smiling as he leans close enough for his lips to brush Jack’s as he murmurs quietly, tone filled with adoration.

"You're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."

Jack's face colors even more, long lashes fanning down over pink cheeks as he shuts his eyes, words dying on his tongue as Mark kisses him with a smile.


	37. Pretty In Pink

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> from [FallorFly](http://archiveofourown.org/users/FallorFly/pseuds/FallorFly) in the comments of chapter 35  
> -Pastel!2013!Short!Nerdy!Jack who is getting bullied.
> 
> -Awkward!2016!Giant!VideoGameClub!Mark who is sick of it.
> 
> just need a big lug comforting a small pastel person

Ever since the new Irish student transfered to Mark’s school, the campus was abuzz over him. His name was Jack, and he was the cutest person Mark had ever laid eyes on. He was absolutely tiny, with big beautiful blue eyes and pale skin, always seeming to wear soft pastels and a smile that lit up his face. He was more reserved the first few weeks, but once he seemed to get used to his new surroundings his bright laugh and excited Irish lilt could be heard everywhere he went. Mark didn’t have many classes with him, but the ones he did were usually spent focusing on those bright blue eyes and the furrow of his brow when he was concentrating, his bright, beautiful smile that lit up his face.

But after a few weeks his smile dimmed, and his voice got quieter again. He was silent, head down during the classes Mark had with him, and Mark knew something was wrong. He just wished he had gotten to know him better before, wished he could talk to him about it now and help, but he was a stranger. Mark wasn't sure if he had anyone he could talk to here, but he hoped he did. And if he didn't, maybe Mark could be that person for him eventually. He just needed to get to know him.

The day after his decision Mark woke early, body thrumming with eager anticipation. Today was the day he'd finally befriend Jack McLoughlin.

That afternoon, as he stepped into the first of two classes he shared with Jack, Mark's heart was hammering against his ribs, taking deep breaths as he tried to calm down, eyes scanning the room for any sign of the Irishman as he headed for his seat.

He was just about to take his usual seat by his buddy Wade when Jack walked in, a boy Mark had been classmates with since junior high following close behind. Mark knew the kid behind him, Dennis, and knew the look on his face, eyes bright and smile cruel as he crowded Jack’s personal space, making the already tiny boy curl in further on himself to get as far away as he could. He was trying to intimidate Jack, and it was working.

Mark could feel anger flare up in his chest as he stood quickly, leaving his stuff at his seat as he hurried over to Jack’s desk, where he was silently getting his stuff out, Dennis murmuring something so low only Jack could hear. As soon as Mark stepped up to the table Dennis stopped, straightening his back and eyeing Mark, obviously annoyed that he'd interrupted whatever he had been saying to Jack.

"What do you want, Fischbach?" Dennis growled, spitting his name out like something vile. Mark didn’t flinch, taking the empty spot next to Jack and looking back to Dennis defiantly.

"Just taking my seat. Shouldn't you be doing that?" he asked, the bell ringing soon after, the teacher striding into the room with quick little steps. She gave Dennis a pointed look, and the boy gave one final glare to both Jack and Mark before pushing off the table and heading to his own seat at the back of the room, Jack’s wide blue eyes turning to look toward Mark. Mark gave him a reassuring smile before turning to the front of the class, trying desperately to listen to whatever the teacher was saying even with every sense acutely aware of Jack sitting just a few inches away.

Soon enough the teacher left them to get started working, Mark looking to Wade and waving him over quickly when the teacher's back was turned, his friend grabbing his backpack and Mark's as he hurried to an empty seat near Jack and Mark's table.

Mark thanked Wade as he handed him his stuff before pulling out his books to start working, a small, pale hand tapping his arm and pulling his attention back to the deer-in-headlights look on Jack’s face, bright eyes wide and brows turned up in confusion.

"Yeh didn't have to do that, yeh know."

Mark's heart leapt in his throat at the quiet murmur, Jack’s accent unfairly adorable as he fiddled with his pencil.

"No, but I wanted to. I've been trying to get the nerve to introduce myself to you since you moved here," he admitted sheepishly, an embarrassed smile settling on his face as he looked down at his notebook before his eyes met Jack’s again, his stomach fluttering at the small, shy smile on the Irishman's face.

"I'm Mark, by the way. Mark Fischbach. It's nice to meet you. I hope it's okay if me and Wade sit here, I just wanted to make sure that asshole doesn't try anything again," he murmured as he flipped to the right page of his textbook, tilting his head toward the back corner of the room to indicate Dennis. He looked up to see the small smile on Jack's face grow.

"Nah, it's fine. I really appreciate it."

"It's no problem," Mark grinned, both boys going quiet as the quiet murmurs of the room around them began to die down, the students going quiet as they worked.

They worked side-by-side in silence, though Mark had to work extra hard to stay focused on the class work as his eyes seemed to drift toward Jack of their own accord, the way his fingers tapped a quick, quiet rhythm with his pencil when he was thinking, the way he spun and fiddled with the colorful rubber bracelets around his wrists, the way the soft pink 'death metal' shirt he wore was both adorable and funny as hell, the color drawing Mark’s attention to his otherwise pale skin, his brilliant blue eyes.

Miraculously, Mark finished his work by the end of the period, handing it in to the teacher before heading back to pack up his things, Wade leaning in to speak to him quietly as Jack went up to hand in his paper.

"Ask Jack if he wants to join the gaming club."

"What? Why?" Mark whispered back, trying and failing to hide the panic seeping into his voice at the thought of his crush being subjected to his dorky club. He had just met him, he didn't want Jack to know what a huge nerd he was!

"I heard he likes video games and you're in love with him. This way you can spend more time with him," Wade reasoned, Mark's face heating up as he sputtered quietly, trying to form a reply before Wade cut him off with a harsh 'sh!', nodding his head toward Jack, who was making his way back. "Just ask him!" Wade whispered, pulling away and busying himself with putting his own things away, leaving Mark to fend for himself as Jack sat back down to put away his stuff. Mark took a deep breath, fingers tapping and fiddling nervously as he spoke up.

"Hey, Jack?"

Jack turned back from putting his stuff in his backpack, zipping it up quickly as his eyes settled on Mark.

"Yeah, Mark?"

God, even the way he said his name was cute. How was one person so freaking adorable?

"Uh, my friends and I have this club for video games after school twice a week, and me and Wade were wondering if, maybe you'd want to come by sometime? If you want?"

Jack’s eyes lit up immediately, a smile quickly spreading across his face.

"Oh man, really? I love video games. I always wanted to be in a club like that but they never had one back home. When are the meetings?"

"Tuesdays and Thursdays after school in the art building. I'll give you the times and classroom once we get out of here," Mark grinned, the bell ringing and the class quickly making their way out into the hall, Jack, Mark, and Wade sticking together in a small group. They stopped just outside the door, Mark pulling out a scrap of paper before Jack offered him his phone, the two switching phones and punching in their numbers before handing them back.

"I'll text you the time and place right now, alright? And we'll see you tomorrow at the meeting?"

"Yeah, definitely," Jack grinned, pocketing his phone and saying a quick goodbye to Mark and Wade, throwing a hand up in a quick wave before turning and heading down the crowded hall toward his next class. Mark waved back, turning to go to his next period with Wade right beside him and a huge grin threatening to split his face in half as he texted Jack the time and place for the meeting.

"Looks like Markimoo has a crush on Jack," Wade sing-songed, Mark pushing his shoulder lightly as his face heated up with a blush.

"Shut up, Wade."


	38. Ya Know I Like My Girls A Little Bit Older

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> for my boo buslimpan who tagged me in [this](http://adorabloodthirstykitty.tumblr.com/post/155567596588/spice-up-those-coffee-shop-aus) coffeeshop post. hope you like it hun and thanks for the request!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had the Your Love cover from NSP on repeat writing this, may wanna play it while reading? though you don't have to. the song's awesome though, definitely give it a listen! also, I don’t know why I picked that line as the title?? it just kinda always stuck out to me and I like it so pbt. also ended up listening to 'Run, Run, Run', 'Hurricanes and Suns', 'Der letzte Tag', 'Wir schliessen uns ein', 'Wo sind eure hande', 'Beichte', and 'Reden' by Tokio Hotel because every time I hear or see German I think of them. just about all of the German is translated with Google, so if I got anything wrong please let me know!!

Jack had never meant to eavesdrop.

Honestly. He never usually did. He went to the coffee shop for peace, quiet, caffeine, and free WiFi. But as music quietly flooded his ears while he worked on his German homework, his attention was slowly pulled to a table a few feet away, where an older woman leaned over a table toward a man with short black hair, his back facing Jack as they spoke in hushed tones. But when Jack's coffee order was called up front and he removed his headphones to get it, he realized he recognized some of what the woman was saying to the man across the table from her.

She was speaking German.

Jack thanked the girl behind the counter as he grabbed his drink and headed back to his seat, picking out some of the words he recognized as the woman continued, trying to figure out what she could be saying. It wasn't because he wanted to eavesdrop, for him it was about hearing the language spoken fluidly instead of just hearing the same phrases and stilted, digital recordings he listened to while studying online. He was just trying to practice, he reasoned, listening to the conversation at the other table as he sat back down, going to the German dictionary in case he needed help, though he wanted to try to figure it out on his own.

He tapped his pencil as he bowed his head, listening intently as he tried to figure out what the woman was saying, the man across from her still silent.

It was a bit difficult in the somewhat busy shop, but he was able to hear a few words here and there, writing down the ones he recognized along with their meanings.

_Grün - green_

_Junge - boy_

_Ich liebe dich - I love you_

His ears perked when a deep voice repeated the phrase, surprising Jack enough to look up briefly. The woman was smiling warmly at the man in front of her, holding one of his hands with both of hers over the table. He wondered if they were related as he bowed his head again, listening as she began speaking again.

_Du - you_

_solltest(?) - should_

_You should something_ , Jack thought. _Should what?_

_Baby - baby_

He smiled at the term of endearment, hearing the man across from the woman's pitch go high in embarrassment.

 _"Hör auf zu reden", he'd said,_ Jack thought, writing it down. _Reden is talking, right? Something talking? Maybe 'stop talking'?_

The woman continued talking, eyes crinkling at the corners as she grinned, pushing her curtain of black hair behind an ear with perfectly manicured hands and painted nails.

Her voice was a bit lower, making it harder for Jack to hear, but he was able to hear a few words every now and then as the dull murmur of the shop lowered.

_Tätowierungen und piercings - tattoos and piercings_

_Tattoos and piercings?_ Jack wondered, fiddling with the sleeves of his jacket pushed up to his elbows, the tattoo on his forearm in plain view, suddenly self-conscious as he bit at his lower lip, the metal of his lip ring clacking against his teeth. _Was she talking about him? But why would she? Maybe the guy she's talking to has tattoos and piercings_ , Jack reasoned, trying to push past the nervousness suddenly churning his stomach as he took a long sip of his drink.

 _"Geh mit ihm reden,"_ the woman murmured, Jack frowning as he tried to remember what the phrase meant, translating it word by word. _Geh_ was 'go', _reden_ was 'talk'. _Mit_ was 'with', right? _Go talk with someone? Who? Who was 'ihm'?_

Jack sighed, running a hand through his dull green hair, pulling at the faded strands as he sat back in his seat. He wasn't getting his work done listening in on the woman and the man across from her, he was getting too distracted again. He looked over the half-empty German homework glaring out at him from his laptop screen, deciding he needed to leave the shop and find somewhere quiet to get this done. He shut his laptop and downed the last of his coffee, getting up to toss the now-empty cup before heading back to his table to pack up his stuff. Head down and focusing solely on picking up all of his stuff, unaware of the two sets of eyes watching him or the person making their way toward him hesitantly.

He was pulling his backpack over his shoulder when he finally looked up, blue eyes widening in surprise when he finally noticed the man standing at his table, giving him a small smile before speaking.

"Hi. Sorry, I don't.. speak English, well. Uh," the man huffed, obviously flustered as he seemed to try to piece together what he was trying to say, Jack realizing belatedly that this must be the man who had been talking to the woman in German.

" _Ich spreche Deutsch._ Uh, a bit" Jack got out, hoping his pronunciation was alright and that he'd be able to figure out what the other was saying. The man's eyebrows shot up in surprise, a smile brightening his admittedly attractive face.

"Oh! _Ich wollte fragen, ob ich deine Telefonnummer haben könnte_ ," the man replied, cheeks tinted pink and almond brown eyes meeting Jack's before looking toward the floor, as if he were shy. Embarrassed, maybe? What the hell had he just said? Something about a phone?

"Uh, a phone? _Telefon?_ " he asked, hoping the other would repeat himself or explain.

 _"Ja, Telefonnummer. Ich wollte dich fragen..._ uh, I don’t think you know what I'm saying," the man giggled, face still tinted pink.

"No, not really, sorry," Jack grinned back sheepishly before getting an idea, pulling his phone out and bringing up an app he had used to help study. "Here. Talk into this and it'll translate it," he said, the confused puppy stare the other man gave him making his stomach flip and cheeks heat up. _Why was he so cute?_

The man nodded, talking slowly and clearly into the phone, Jack watching the screen as the man's words were translated into English.

 _"Hello, my name is Mark Fischbach. I wanted to say that you're really attractive, and I wanted to ask for your phone number or to go out on a date with you. I'm sorry my English isn't so good,"_ he finished, cheeks pink as he looked up at Jack, who's face was just as dark as Mark's.

Jack tapped at his phone, changing the settings so his words would be translated on the screen of the phone. He tilted the phone so Mark would be able to see it, speaking slowly and carefully as his words were translated in German on the phone.

"I'm Jack McLoughlin, it's nice to meet you. You're really attractive too. And I'd love to go out with you sometime," Jack grinned, face dark and smile wide as his words were translated on his phone, Mark grinning as he read before beaming up at Jack, pulling his own phone out and handing it to Jack.

Jack grinned, taking the phone in hand and adding his phone number to Mark’s contacts, handing his own phone to Mark so he could add his number. They got their own phones back, beaming at each other before Jack spoke again, going back to the app so Mark would be able to understand what he was saying.

"I'll text you later, alright? It was so nice to meet you."

Mark read over the translation on Jack’s screen, grinning as he nodded his head, hand coming up in a small wave before he spoke. "So nice meeting you too. Talk to you later?"

"Ja," Jack grinned, Mark beaming before Jack gave a small wave, straightening the strap of his backpack on his shoulder and pocketing his phone before heading out of the coffee shop, face still pink and a grin spread across his face all the way back to his apartment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> also fun fact!! I had wanted to learn German in high school because I was in love with the German band Tokio Hotel, but they didn’t have the class available at our school so I had to take Spanish x.x I did learn a few words and phrases from listening to the band and looking up translations though, and I still think learning German would be a lot of fun!


	39. The G Club

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is for thatonefangirlinthecorner on tumblr who asked for more pastel jack! hope you like it hun!! also, this is a continuation of ch 37, so read that first if you haven't!

The rest of the day Mark was a bundle of nerves, anxious but excited for the meeting after school. He had finally gotten the courage to talk to the cute new kid who he may or may not have a crush on, and had invited him to his gaming club meeting after school. He tried to ignore the sense of eager anticipation and slight dread as the clock continued moving, slowly ticking toward the end of the school day. He couldn't keep his eyes off the clock if he tried, and his odd behavior didn't go unnoticed by his friends.

"You realize the clock doesn't move faster if you stare at it, right Mark?" Bob asked in one of their later classes, Wade trying to stifle a chuckle as they continued working on their math work. Mark didn’t reply, frowning at the clock as he returned his attention to his work, finishing it quickly so he could check his phone and worry in peace. He tried to ignore the quiet conversation between Bob and Wade as he set his finished work aside, foot tapping impatiently as he sat back, eyes still fixed on the clock.

"What's his deal?" he heard Bob murmur, a huff of a laugh escaping Wade before he replied.

"He finally talked to the new kid."

"The one he's got a huge crush on?"

"Yep. He saved him from Dennis the Menace and invited him to the G club. He’s been staring at the clock and his phone like that all day."

"Oh my god, that's hilarious. We're giving him shit for this at the meeting, right?"

"Oh, definitely."

"You guys know I can hear you, right?" Mark muttered, Bob and Wade sitting up to include Mark in the discussion, both wearing shit-eating grins.

"Yeah, we just don't care," Bob replied, Wade ducking his head as he shook with silent laughter.

"I hate you both."

"We love you too, Markimoo," Bob grinned, the teacher giving the three a silent glare, momentarily silencing the three as they pretended to get back to work until the end of the period, the last period of the day.

Mark shoved his things into his backpack and handed in his work, hurrying out of the room and into the hall, pulling his phone out as Bob and Wade hurried to catch up.

A new message sat in his inbox, leaving Mark grinning as he unlocked his phone to read it.

**Jack: alright, got it! I'll be there! :P**

Soon Bob and Wade caught up as Mark sent a mass text to the club members, asking who was coming and who wasn't. Soon he got answers from most of the club, Arin telling him that Barry and Ross had gotten sick and weren't in, and that Suzy was going to be hanging out with Holly and some other friends, leaving Bob, Wade, Mark, Felix, Arin, and Jack. And Danny, if he decided to come with Arin. Mark told Bob and Wade about the missing members as they made their way toward the classroom they held the club meetings in.

Soon enough Mark, Bob, and Wade made it to the classroom, stepping into the mostly-empty room. In the middle of the room sat some of the members, huddled in a loose circle of desks, turning toward the opening door. Felix Kjellberg grinned at the younger students, saying a quick 'hey bros' as they entered. Arin and Danny sat together, with Danny leaning heavily on the table, twirling strands of Arin's hair in his fingers. Arin gave a head nod and grin in greeting, Dan throwing a hand up lazily. Mark, Bob, and Wade sat together with the others, setting their stuff down before Mark spoke up.

"Alright guys, a couple people aren't gonna be able to make it to this one, but we may have a new member! He's coming to this meeting to see what it's like, so be nice."

"Yeah, don't give Mark’s boyfriend too much shit," Wade grinned, Mark sputtering indignantly as his face heated up, finally managing a strangled 'shut up, Wade!'

"Ooh, who's your boyfriend, Mark? Why haven't we met him?" Felix grinned, bright eyes shining mischievously, making Mark even more nervous about inviting Jack.

"One, he's not my boyfriend, and two, it's the new guy, Jack."

"What new guy? The bigger guy?"

"No, the Irish one," Bob replied, Arin frowning, obviously never having met him.

"Oh shit, really? I haven't seen him yet!" Felix grinned, sitting up a bit, obviously excited. Mark wasn't sure if that was good or not, hoping the group didn't embarrass him in front of Jack. That is, if he didn't embarrass himself first.

Before he could say any more there was a light knock on the door before it was pushed open, a pair of familiar blue eyes peering into the classroom as Jack stepped in. Mark stood immediately, grinning as he made his way to Jack’s side.

"Hey Jack, glad you could make it," he grinned to the other, Jack smiling back before Mark threw an arm around his waist, leading him toward the others as he addressed the rest of the group.

"Guys, this is Jack. Jack, this is Danny, Arin, Felix, Bob, and you met Wade in class."

"Nice to meet yeh all."

"Holy shit, you're adorable," Felix grinned, Jack’s face immediately coloring with a blush.

"Um, thanks?"

"Felix, don't embarrass him," Mark scolded, Felix grinning unapologetically as he sat back in his seat. Mark turned back to Jack, leading him to the empty seat next to his own spot. "We were just getting started."

"Alright," Jack replied, looking around the group a bit nervously as he sat beside Mark, setting his backpack on the floor by his foot.

"Alright, so who wants to start?"

-

An hour later the group left the art room, Felix, Arin, and Dan hovering around Jack as they all exchanged phone numbers and said their goodbyes before heading home. Jack had gotten along well with the whole group, and thankfully the others hadn’t embarrassed Mark around Jack like he feared they would.

Jack gave his number to Bob and Wade, both of them making quick excuses about heading home, conveniently leaving Mark and Jack alone. Mark knew they were probably trying to help, but now that he was alone with Jack he was even more nervous, walking side by side in silence, surrounded by empty hallways.

"Thanks for inviting me to the meeting, I had a lot of fun," Jack grinned, Mark smiling back easily.

"I'm glad you had fun. It'll be nice to have you there."

"And about this morning.."

"You don’t have to thank me or anything, it's the least I could do."

"Well, I want to. I really do appreciate you stickin up for me," Jack said sincerely, bright eyes meeting Mark's and stealing the breath from his lungs momentarily.

"It was no problem," Mark got out, Jack’s small smile making Mark's heart thump hard against his ribcage.

Soon the pair was standing at the front of the school, Mark pausing as Jack stopped.

"Are you waiting for a ride?"

"Nah, my parents are at work right now, I'm gonna have to walk."

"I can give you a ride home! I mean, if you want," Mark replied, hoping his eagerness to spend more time with the other wasn't too obvious. Jack beamed at him, making Mark's heart flutter again as Jack agreed, Mark leading the way to the student parking lot where his car waited. Jack rattled off his address as they both strapped in, Mark soon pulling out of the parking lot and driving toward Jack’s house.

"I really do appreciate all this, Mark. You're the nicest person I've met so far. I'm gonna have to figure out a way to make it up to yeh."

"You don’t need to do that."

"No, but I want to."

Mark grinned as he made another turn, quickly approaching Jack’s street.

"Well, if you think of anything, let me know."

"Actually, I may have already thought of something," Jack replied, Mark looking over briefly to see Jack grinning.

"Yeah? What is it?"

"How about a date?"

Mark almost pushed the break with the suddenness of the request, face immediately going red as his hands gripped the steering wheel tightly, throat impossibly dry and face hot.

"Are you serious?"

"If yeh want, yeah."

Mark took a second to breathe, ignoring every instinct to squeal or dance or do anything equally embarrassing.

"I'd love that," Mark grinned, soon pulling up in front of Jack's house and turning to find Jack’s face a bit red too, head ducked as he tried to hide a wide smile.

"I'll text you the details later. I'm still not too familiar with this place so I don't exactly know where to take yeh."

"We could just go around town? I can show you around."

"Yeah, but _I'm_ supposed to be taking _you_ out, not the other way around," Jack grinned, a laugh bubbling from Mark before he shrugged with a grin.

"Alright, let me know when you find a place."

"I will. See yeh tomorrow, Mark," Jack grinned, grabbing his bag and stepping out of the car, the wide smile still plastered across his face as he shut the door behind him.

"See ya, Jack," Mark called back, the Irishman giving a little wave as he walked up the front lawn toward his house, Mark still grinning as he pulled away and headed home.


	40. Gone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> for Rottenka from the comments of chapter 39 who asked for Jack being kidnapped at a convention and Mark saving him!! I'm so sorry I didn't get to these sooner, I hope you like it hun!!

Mark was excited. Today marked his first day in Boston, the first day of PAX East. Today was the day he'd finally see all of his friends again, as well as his green-haired boyfriend. Truthfully, he was most eager to see Sean, bouncing through the airport after grabbing his bags as he headed out to call a cab, replying to a few texts from the various friends also attending the convention while he waited for his ride.

He hopped into the car and looked out the window as he approached his hotel, thankfully that the reception area was empty besides the smiling woman behind the desk who handed him his key. He hurried up to his room, dropping his bags off and sending another text to his friends, letting them know he'd be at the convention center soon. He was met with happy, excited replies, but for some reason Ken and Felix were silent. They must be out doing something, Mark reasoned, sure that Felix was most likely going to film something during the con.

Soon enough Mark was at the convention center, opening his message thread from Sean and tapping out a new message.

_Hey Sean! I just got to the con, you wanna meet up?_

He slipped his phone back in his pocket, being stopped by just about everyone in the almost-empty hall for photos and signatures. By the time he got to a secluded spot his phone had already buzzed in his pocket, pulling it out and grinning as a notification from Jack lit up his screen, unlocking his phone and opening the message.

**_Jack is indisposed at the moment._ **

Mark’s smile fell, a small frown pulling at his lips as he replied.

_Jack this isn't funny._

**_We told you. Jack is indisposed._ **

A photo popped up, Mark tapping it instantly, his mood dropping as he waited for the picture to load.

When it did, he almost dropped his phone.

Jack sat in an empty room, hands ties behind the chair he was sitting in and fabric tied over his mouth, glaring to the left of the picture. A pair of large, dark boots were in frame, but nothing more of whoever Jack was staring at. What the fuck was going on?

Before Mark could demand answers or even begin typing, another message popped on screen.

**_B-122. Come save him, Markimoo._ **

Mark shoved his phone in his pocket and sprinted for the stairs.

-

Mark burst into the room minutes later, flustered and panting from running the whole way.

"Jack!" he called, whipping his head around wildly in search of his boyfriend, running to him as soon as he spotted him, still tied and gagged in the chair across the large, empty room.

"Jack, are you okay? Who did this?" he asked, pulling the knots apart that bound his boyfriend's wrists behind him. Jack’s answer was muffled by the gag still blocking his mouth, but before Mark could pull it off a pair of double doors opened, both Youtubers turning to face the people who had done this.

"Well, well, well," Felix grinned, voice low and gravely as Ken grinned from behind the camera, walking behind Felix to get the shot of his slow approach. "If it isn't my arch nemesis, Markiplier."

"Felix, what the fuck-"

"Ah ah ah! That's Pewdiepie to you, Markles."

"Felix, seriously," Jack frowned, having pulled the strip of fabric from his mouth, not looking at all amused by the trick he'd pulled on them.

"Felix, I'm going to punch you," Mark groaned, huffing out a frustrated sigh at having been tricked as he pulled Jack up by the hands, wrapping him in a hug.

"Mark, what the fuck? You said you wanted to be part of my next skit! Didn't you get my email?"

"What email?"

"The one where I told you to tell Jack we would get it done before the con as soon as you got in!! I wanted to film it when you guys had time!"

"What are you talking about? I didn't get an email," Mark frowned, his anger dissipating somewhat at the confused look Felix shot him before he pulled his phone out, tapping and scrolling with a small frown before his eyes widened, throwing his head back with a frustrated groan.

"Dammit! It didn’t send," Felix grumbled, running a hand through his platinum blond hair, blue eyes flickering back up to Mark and Jack.

"Guys, I'm so freakin sorry. I thought you'd gotten the message and knew what was up. I really didn't mean to scare you guys like that."

Mark gave another sigh, an arm still slung over Sean’s shoulders, hugging him close. "It's alright, Felix. Did you get enough recorded for the skit?"

"Yeah, I think so. I'll have to leave it as a cliffhanger and cut out the last bit, but I think it'll turn out alright. Seriously, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to freak you guys out."

"It's alright, Felix. Yeh didn't know," Jack smiled warmly, stepping out from under Mark’s arm to hug his friend with a smile.

Felix grinned, putting an arm around Jack much like Mark had before turning to them, Ken having stopped the footage and walked around to stand between Felix and Mark.

"Come on, I'll buy you guys lunch, my treat," Felix grinned, Mark and Jack agreeing easily as the four friends headed out of the empty room and out of the convention center to grab some lunch.


	41. Click-Track Heart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> for BBCanimefangirl, who was so sweet and requested robot!Jack and engineer!Mark. I was listening to Emperor's New Clothes and ended up with a darker, completely different story than I originally planned but I hope you like it hun and thank you for the request!!

"Jack? Do I have any appointments scheduled for today?"

"No, pretty slow day today. Yeh need to finish the repairs for Ms. Finley and Mr. Harper but that's it."

"Alright, thank you Jack," Mark called from his desk, hearing Jack call a 'no problem!' before the sound of his footsteps began to fade, moving further into the house, toward the kitchen.

Mark settled into his chair, pulling Ms. Finley's typewriter toward him as he began looking over the keys and ink ribbon, searching for the cause of the problem.

Mark was an engineer, with a shop in town catering to old and new electronics. His customers were varied and so were his projects, ranging from typewriters and music boxes from the last century to the most sophisticated androids. Sean McLoughlin, or Jack, was one of them.

A few months ago Mark had seen a figure huddled in an alley a couple blocks from his store, and had brought the young man to the shop. He hadn't realized at first that the man was an android until he'd tried to speak, his voice going high enough to make his ears ring before cutting out completely. Ever since that day Mark had kept him in the shop, fixing the extensive wear and tear and his broken voice box. When he was finished he'd asked Jack if he had an owner or a home to go to, but the android had only lowered his head, swallowing visibly before simply saying 'they're gone.'

Jack has been with Mark ever since, helping with repairs and upkeep of the house, and keeping Mark company. Mark never realized how lonely the shop was until Jack came into his life, brightening the whole building with his energy and demeanor. Mark didn’t know what he'd do without him.

For the rest of the afternoon Mark worked, taking apart, fixing, and putting his projects back together again, setting Ms. Finley's typewriter on the store counter when he was finished with it before looking over Mr. Harper's laptop, finding a wire in the keyboard that had broken. As soon as both projects were complete Mark stood from his desk, stretching his arms over his head with a pop of his vertebrae and a sigh. He paused, looking over his now empty workspace before heading toward the kitchen, the sound of rain and the quiet padding of his footsteps the only noise in the house.

"Jack?"

Mark frowned when he was met with silence, wondering if maybe he had shut down to recharge or run some scans. He headed for the kitchen to grab some lunch, surprised to see Jack sitting at the island, back facing Mark as he looked out at the grey, rainy yard outside the window.

"Jack?" he asked again, stepping up to the island slowly.

"Jack isn't here."

Mark frowned, stepping closer to the android.

"Jack? Is something up?"

Suddenly, more quickly than his eyes could track, Jack had whirled around, hand seizing Mark’s wrist before he could reach a hand out to rest on the android’s shoulder. Mark’s wide eyes turned to Jack, brows shooting up and face going pale as he looked into his eyes, usually a bright, beautiful blue, now a neon green, the whites of his eyes a deep, endless black.

"My name is Anti. Jack is no longer with us."


	42. Faking It

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is for my babe buslimpan who mentioned a super cute prompt about people thinking a relationship was fake because the two didn't do much pda so I wrote it! hope you like it hun!!

Mark sighed as Jack laid across his stretched-out frame on the couch, his back against Mark's chest, Mark's arms coming up to wrap around his waist as they settled in to watch tv.

Mark and Jack had been dating for a few months now, though their friends would argue that the two were faking it. For some reason, Wade, Ken, and Felix were of the mindset that for some reason, Mark and Jack were pretending to be in a relationship. Sure, they weren't into PDA. They held hands and hugged, kissed each other on the cheek, but they weren't overly affectionate around their friends. And because of that, some of their friends believed that they weren't dating.

Mark leaned forward, pressing a kiss to the messy green hair on top of Jack’s head as the Irishman snuggled back against him, arms coming up to rest over Mark’s. It was silent except for the sound from the tv, the two content to just be with each other, enjoying the company of the other whether their friends believed them or not.

Mark leaned forward again, taking Jack’s hand into his own and bringing it up to his lips, kissing the knuckles either a smile before settling back with Jack for another night in with his favorite person in the world.


	43. I Want You All To Myself

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> this is for an anon who asked for septiplier based on the song "All To Myself" by Marianas Trench. I couldn't get dark out of my head when I heard this and then it spiralled into this!! hope you like it hun and thanks for the prompt!!

When warm brown eyes grow dark, Jack knows Mark is gone. Dark straightens, rolling his shoulders back as he adjusts to being in control of Mark’s body, eyes locked to Jack's as he combs his hair to the opposite side, the side that Dark always wears his hair.

"Dark, give him back."

Dark straightens, posture perfect as always, gaze cool as he looks across the table at him.

"Why? Didn't you miss me, baby? I missed you."

"This night isn't about you, Dark. Give him back."

Dark's lips curl down, brows lowering over dark eyes. He flickers, mirror images of himself in red and blue moving with him, making Jack slightly nauseous.

"Give me one reason why I can't be here."

"This was a date for me and Mark, Dark! You're taking time away from Mark."

"Like he hasn't done the same? All that time pushing me aside, keeping you to himself? How is that any different?"

Jack opens his mouth to argue but Dark lifts a hand, Jack’s mouth shutting with a click of teeth.

"I don't want to waste any time with upsetting you. I'm here now, so let’s enjoy our time together."

Jack sighs out of his nose, holding back from arguing as the waiter comes to their table, setting their bowls on the table. Dark switches the bowls when the waiter hands Jack vanilla, knowing his preference for chocolate as he turns his attention back to Jack.

"I didn't come here to upset you. I missed you."

Jack doesn’t say anything else, because he knows Dark is telling the truth. He picks up his spoon and scoops up a bite, Dark sitting with hands folded, watching Jack quietly. He's about to ask the demon if he plans on eating when his vision swims, the red and blue doubles of Dark stretching and moving as Jack’s vision goes dark around the edges. He tries to speak but his tongue feels heavy in his mouth, Dark watching him coolly from his side of the table.

"Don't worry, Jack. I'll see you as soon as you wake up," he says, voice low and calm as Jack's vision blurs even more before going completely black.


	44. Something Wrong

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> this is for PianoPrincess from chapter 43 who asked for Jack really being kidnapped and Mark going to save him. sorry I didn't go exactly how you wanted but this idea wouldn't leave my head. warning for violence, kidnapping, and murder

It's dark when Jack wakes, head throbbing painfully and arms asleep, his senses coming back to him slowly, as if swimming through syrup. He finds that he's in a chair, hands behind his back. He tries to pull them into his lap but they're bound, tied at the wrists behind the back of the chair. His ankles are similarly tied, each bound to the legs of the chair. He pulls at his binds uselessly, senses still dulled and motions slow.

 _I've been drugged_ , he thinks distantly, his chest tightening as fear floods his system before a voice cuts through the fog, echoing in the dark, sharp and angry.

"Come alone with the cash. If you call anyone, tell anyone, or bring anyone with you, your boyfriend dies."

 _Mark_ , he thinks, knowing exactly who was on the other end of the line. He pulls at the rough rope around his wrists but to no avail, whipping around toward the sound of footsteps growing closer, the outline of a lone man barely visible in the darkness.

"Stop trying. You be good and you can go," he mutters, his voice distorted, the sound weaving from one side to the other, echoing and reverberating in his skull

"What did you give me? Where the fuck are we?"

"That's none of your business, green bean. Just sit pretty, shut the hell up and wait for your boyfriend to come save you. It'll save us all a headache."

 _'Us all'._ Jack thought, filing the information away. _There are more of them, not just this guy._

Jack stayed silent, feeling the man's stare for a few more seconds before the sound of his footsteps began getting quieter, further away. He waited until he saw a bright white light at the far back corner of the room, the only light besides that of the small windows up near the roof. He took in as much as he could with the light shining from the doorway, finding that the room they were in was large and empty. The man was average height and muscled, dark hair and a mustache. The sound of voices echoed from the room he stepped into, at least two voices, before the door shut again, leaving Jack alone in the dark again. He sighed, head bowed and mind swimming, the darkness and the strong drugs pulling him back into unconsciousness.

-

The slam of the door and a sudden bright light pulled him from his daze, head snapping up as a new man, smaller with wide, furious eyes stormed toward him.

"What the fuck did you do?"

Jack frowned, obviously confused.

"I didn't do anything."

"Bullshit! We have the cops heading here now. What the fuck did you do?"

"I've been here the whole time!"

The man pulled a gun from his waist, aiming it straight at Jack's chest.

"I am not going down for this. If we aren’t getting our money, we don’t fucking need you."

"You shouldn’t have done that."

The man let out a huff, clicking the safety off. He didn't see the way blue eyes changed, shifting into bright, vivid green. He pulled the trigger.

-

Mark stopped in front of the address he'd been given, wheels kicking up dirt as he stopped in front of what looked like an abandoned barn or warehouse, surrounded by desert. He climbed out quickly, pulling the suitcase of money with him as he all but ran to the door. He knocked, stopping to listen for any sound before knocking again. He waited as long as he could before his fear got the best of him, his worry for Jack's safety too much as he pushed the door open and quickly stepped inside, giving his eyes enough time to adjust to the dark room.

"Jack?" he called, not seeing anyone or anything at first as he stepped further into the dark, empty room. His eyes finally adjusted completely, finding a lone figure near the middle of the room, head bowed and stock still. But even in the dark he recognized the silhouette, the shock of messy green waves.

"Jack!"

He ran to him, steps bouncing off the concrete floors and metal walls of the huge building. His footsteps slowed as he got closer, stopping completely when the sound of his footfalls changed. He looked down.

A dark pool sat under his feet, the limp form of a body not even a foot away. He felt his stomach lurch, face growing pale as two more bodies caught his eye, one closest to the back wall and the other between Jack and the door. Mark swallowed past the bile rising in his throat, slowly lifting a hand to rest on Jack’s shoulder.

"We need to go."

Anti nodded, turning around to face him. Mark knew who he was looking at even if he couldn’t see him, couldn't see the unnaturally bright shade of green his eyes would be. It was all in his demeanor, in the proud, calm way he carried himself, in the stillness of his hands with the bodies of his victims sitting feet away.

They left, down the same dark, lonely dirt road Mark came by, hands gripping the steering wheel with white knuckles as Anti fell asleep in the seat beside him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> also, fun fact!! I had originally planned on a kidnapper cutting off one of Jack’s fingers, and then Anti coming, fixing the damage with black smoke, and the cut where he killed everyone. a bit sad I didn't get to write it that way but I couldn't figure out why the person would do that. also, the cops weren't actually coming. the man who was going to shoot Jack was paranoid, and thought the cops were going to find them when in reality they ended up at a completely different place


	45. Highschool Football Hero

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> this is for a precious anon who asked for jock!Mark and nerd/punk!jack. as you all know by now I have a huge soft spot for punk jack, so I went with that!! hope you like it anon!!

"You do realize how stupid this is, right?"

"Yes."

"You do realize how many girls- and guys, for that matter- want him, right?"

"I'm not blind, Fe. I know."

"And yet here we are."

"Hey, it was your idea to get outta my comfort zone. Besides, I thought if it didn't work at least we could play it off as being funny or something. Like we came to make fun of all this."

"Jack, I'm freezing my ass off. If this doesn't work my balls will probably fall off. I'll never be able to bring a Felix Jr. into this world."

"Is that really a bad thing?"

"Ha ha." Felix shifted, bringing cupped hands up to blow warm air into them, rubbing them together with a shiver. "If we get busted for this you owe me, asshole."

"We won't. And if we do we can pitch a fit. Other people have done this before, right? Cheerleaders and shit."

"Yeah, cheerleaders. Not us."

"Aren’t I supposed to be the downer here? Shut the lid, I think a break's supposed to be coming up."

"You mean halftime?"

"Shut up, let's get out there before I bail."

"Alright, alright. And you're sure this will work?"

Jack shifted in place, frowning out at him. "Felix, really? Now's not the time to-"

"Jack, please. Listen to me." Jack paused, Felix's face serious, more serious than he'd ever seen him, ice blue eyes piercing into Jack’s.

"Are you really sure about this? Do you really want to risk everyone shitting on you for this? You don't have to do this, man. Do you even know if he likes you like that? Do you know that he'll say yes?"

"I won't know til I find out, will I?" Jack asked, just as seriously. Felix searched his face for a couple seconds, seeming to sense Jack’s determination even through the nerves. He nodded his head, cracking a smile to put the Irishman at ease.

"Alright, lover boy. Good luck. Go on and get in, let's woo a fuckin football star."

Jack grinned back, nodding his head before crouching down and ducking his head, Felix closing it up and patting the top twice in reassurance before pushing it out toward the side of the field.

Jack sat in the dark space, a little cramped and nervous as all hell. He'd met Mark when he first moved out to the states, and although the football player seemed to be in a completely different league compared to Jack, with his green hair, piercings, and love of ripped jeans and black band shirts, the athlete had sought him out, going out of his way to check up on him his first weeks of school, giving tips about some of the teachers and being a genuinely good guy. They'd become unlikely friends, and the couple classes Jack had with Mark were some of his favorites. It would have been fine if he hadn't gone and gotten a huge crush on the other, leaving him pining after the athlete like so many other students. And while Jack knew for a fact that Mark wasn't dating anyone and hadn't mentioned being interested in anyone, that didn't mean he'd be interested in Jack. Jack wished he could have a smoke, his fingers drumming against his arms nervously as he was rolled through the grass, waiting in the dark for Felix's cue.

He could hear cheering and Ken on the speaker, smiling as his friend welcomed Felix and the surprise onto the field. Jack had had the idea as soon as Mark mentioned his birthday a couple weeks prior, the football player mentioning to Jack that he usually didn't make a big deal out of his birthdays, and that the game and some time with his family would be enough.

So here Jack was, sitting in a giant, fake cake and being rolled out onto the field, the crowd on either side of the field cheering as he finally came to a stop. Felix tapped the cake once, his voice growing fainter as he walked away before coming back again, Jack able to hear Mark’s voice nearby, somewhat dulled by the walls of the cake. He waited, grinning as Felix yelled, before his voice and the voices of everyone on the field rang out, singing 'Happy Birthday' to Mark. Jack took a second to breathe, hands coming up to rest on the top of the lid, waiting for the song to end before he pushed up with his arms, knocking the lid off and popping out of the top of the cake with a grin, the cheering of the crowd almost deafening as the bright lights of the arena all but blinded him. He grinned, the first person he saw was Mark, jaw hanging open in shock before grinning ear to ear, his laugh bubbling out of his throat and leaving Jack breathless.

"Jack? What are you doing here?"

"I had to surprise my favorite football star. Happy birthday, Mark," he grinned, Mark coming forward to hug him as best he could, the bottom tiers of the cake making it a bit difficult. Jack didn’t let go, keeping Mark close in a tight hug as he spoke up again.

"I need to ask you something, Mark."

"Sure. What is it Jack?"

"I want you to answer honestly, okay? Don't feel like you have to do anything you don't want to, I don’t wanna pressure you."

"Of course, Jack. What is it?" he asked, voice quieter and closer to his ear so only Jack could hear. Jack steeled his nerves and pulled back enough to see Mark’s face, his warm brown eyes and serious, almost concerned expression, his big hand coming up to rub Jack’s back soothingly, probably sensing Jack’s nervousness. Jack swallowed past the nerves and spoke, bright eyes trained to Mark’s warm ones.

"Mark Fischbach, will you go to prom with me?"

Mark’s eyes widened, color dusting his cheeks before his smile was back, dazzling and bright and more beautiful than anything Jack had ever seen.

"I was hoping you'd ask me that," Mark grinned, pulling Jack back into a hug as their hearts hammered against their ribs, the bright lights and huge crowd all but forgotten as they held each other close.


	46. Roommates

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> for a precious anon who asked for: 'maybe a highschool/college AU where Sean and Mark and Dark and Anti are all students and maybe like, dorm-mates or something? Think about Mark and Sean awkwardly crushing on each other and their respective halves try to help them but make it worse and more awkward'. such a cute freaking prompt, I hope you like this anon!!

Ever since Jack had laid eyes on Mark Fischbach, he'd been plagued by the curl of his smile and the warmth of his eyes, every facial expression and shift of his body memorized and replayed in his mind over and over. Eventually Jack couldn’t keep the thoughts to himself, finally turning to Anti, his guardian demon and second shadow, to discuss the issue of his painfully beautiful, kind, and wonderful roommate.

It was early morning when Jack finally cracked, having been working on his English paper on the couch. It was late, closer to morning than night as he hunched over his scattered papers and textbooks, pouring over his assignment when the sound of the fridge caught his attention, pulling tired eyes from his own notes to a figure standing in front of the fridge. Mark Fischbach stood shirtless in front of the fridge, cast in the golden light of their refrigerator as he leaned forward, plucking a bottle of water from the shelves and taking a long swig, unaware of Jack's presence or his blatant staring until he swallowed, screwing the cap back onto the bottle, tired eyes focusing on the Irishman huddled on the couch among papers and books. Mark seemed surprised by Jack’s presence, freezing momentarily before giving a sheepish smile and wave and padding back to his room, the soft click of his door closing behind him echoing in the silent dorm. Jack had stared at the wall for a good few minutes while his mind came back online, body frozen as he tried to stay calm and focus on anything that wasn't the image of Mark’s shirtless body emblazoned in his mind.

He shambled to his room almost an hour later, having been unable to focus back on his homework. He trudged to his own room, arms laden with textbooks and papers, kicked his door shut behind him, and dumped the pile on his desk before falling face-first onto his bed with a groan.

"What's up your ass, Clover?"

Jack didn’t even lift his head to reply, simply groaning again into his comforter. He felt his hairs standing up on end, knowing that Anti was close. He lifted his head and there he stood, thick eyebrows raised and arms crossed over his usual black t-shirt, acid-green eyes fixed to Jack's rumpled form. Jack sighed, dropping his forehead back against the bed, head tilted so his words wouldn't be muffled and he wouldn't suffocate on the bedding.

"I saw Mark shirtless."

He could practically _feel_ Anti's eye roll, hearing a short, annoyed huff leave the demon before he spoke again.

"You should stop being a fockin idiot and bang him already."

"One, neither of us know whether Mark would be up for that idea-"

"You'd know if yeh fockin asked."

"-and _two_ , I don’t just want to have sex with him," Jack grumbled, letting his face fall into the comforter again, unwilling to look up and face Anti's gaze, face coloring in embarrassment at the admission.

Silence. Jack stayed sprawled on his bed, waiting to see if Anti would break first. He didn't, of course, but it wasn't like Jack didn’t try. He sighed into his comforter again before tilting his head up, chin resting on his blanket as blue eyes met green.

"Do yeh know how fockin stupid this is?"

Jack didn’t dignify the question with words, an irritated sound falling from his throat.

Anti continued to glare dully down at Jack, arms crossed over his chest, his form glitching more than usual, a sure sign that he was irritated, before he was gone, the lingering static the only sign he'd been there at all. Jack didn’t bother changing out of his clothes, toeing his shoes off and throwing the comforter over himself before settling in for a restless sleep.

-

Anti found Dark in the small kitchenette near the door, sitting at the counter in one of the stools, he found Anti's eyes in the darkness as soon as he popped into the hall, as if expecting him.

Anti glitches his way into the seat next to Dark, Dark’s smile only irritating him more.

He'd been aware of Dark since they first came to share this space with "pretty boy" Mark, the demon not at all shy about getting Anti's attention or trying to make friends. He waited, hands clasped in front of him and head straight forward, but Anti knew all of his focus was on him.

"What's got you so snippy, baby?" Dark's voice, cool and calm and deep rolled over Anti like a wave, making the air around him hum with the depth of it.

"We need to get the idiots together. This pissing and groaning from Sean is making me sick."

"You too? Mark hasn't been quite as forthcoming about it but his moping is about as subtle as a car crash. It almost makes me feel bad for him."

"So it's settled then? Ready to play matchmaker for these two imbeciles?"

"As long as I get to spend time with you," Dark smirked, Anti giving an unimpressed look before leaving in bright glitching rectangles of green, black, and white, fizzling out of the room in silence.

-

The next day Mark came out shirtless yet again, though he seemed a bit irritated. Jack let his eyes linger for only a couple seconds as Mark trudged to the fridge before looking back down into his cereal bowl.

"Dark hid all of my shirts. You haven't seen him or any of my clothes, have you?" Mark asked, warm eyes meeting Jack's for a split second before looking back into the fridge, shifting from foot to foot almost nervously. Jack shook his head, swallowing his bite before speaking.

"No, I haven't seen him or any of your stuff. Haven't seen much of Anti this morning either," he mumbled, praying he wasn't planning something. Usually when Anti went quiet it meant he was scheming, and that was never good.

Mark hummed thoughtfully, grabbing milk and padding over to retrieve the cereal box from beside Jack on the counter before pouring himself a bowl, leaning back against the counter on the opposite side of the small kitchenette, facing Jack as he chewed thoughtfully. Jack kept his head bowed, knowing that if he looked directly at Mark he wouldn't be able to keep his eyes off him, the memory of last night bringing a flood of warmth to his cheeks, making him duck his head lower as he continued eating, waiting for the blush to pass.

As soon as he finished eating he couldn't get out of the kitchen fast enough, washing his dishes quickly before babbling out an excuse about getting to class early to talk to his teacher before all but sprinting away from his shirtless roommate, taking care not to slam his door behind him as he caught his breath.

Jack hurried to get ready, hoping to get more work done on his essay in the library than he had last night as he packed up his stuff and headed out of the dorm, calling a quick goodbye to Mark on his way out, not allowing a look back as he hurried out the door.

-

The next few days were... odd, to say the least. Mark’s things somehow kept ending up in Jack's room, and vice versa. Notes and books went missing until Jack or Mark would ask the other for help with whatever school work they needed to get done, then mysteriously appear again. Jack knew that it must be Anti and Dark's doing, though he wasn't sure what the motive was yet. If it was to have Mark and Jack spend more time with each other and annoy them both, it was working. Jack still hadn't seen or heard a peep from Anti once since the night of the Incident, as he'd come to name the night he first saw Mark shirtless. It was disconcerting, the radio silence from his almost ever-present pain in the ass, but Jack tried not to let himself worry. Maybe Anti wanted some time alone. He was a pretty solitary creature, maybe he just needed time away from everyone. Jack let himself believe it, ignoring the niggling little voice in the back of his mind that told him something was going to happen.

He couldn't ignore it, however, the next Friday afternoon, when Anti finally made his grand reappearance.

It had been unusually chilly the past couple days, leaving Jack bundled up in a cozy jumper but still shivering. He'd been trying to find a stool or something to stand on to reach the blankets just out of his reach, but everything sturdy enough to stand on seemed to have disappeared from the dorm. Eventually Jack gave up trying to stretch enough to reach his blankets, padding towards Mark’s room and knocking quietly.

Mark opened the door with a smile, asking what was up, and Jack had explained the situation, both men padding down the hall toward the closet. Jack was pointing out the blanket in the far corner for Mark to grab when suddenly the sound of static sounded behind them, Jack turning to find Anti and Dark directly behind them before both men were pushed forward, stumbling into the small, dark space as the door shut with a resounding _click_.

"Now Sean, do you have anything to say?" Anti's voice rang out from outside the locked door, Jack’s face hot in annoyance and embarrassment at being so close to Mark in the tiny space.

"Anti, what the fuck? Let us out right now."

"Mark, maybe you have something you'd like to say?" Dark hummed, sounding just as pleased as Anti had. Jack could feel Mark's intake of breath, the angry huff of his nose ruffling his hair and tickling his face.

"Dark, this isn't funny. Let us out."

"Sorry, lovebirds, but until you both share what you've been dancing around since we all moved here, you're staying in that closet," Anti replied, voice smug as Jack sighed, wishing he could hang his head without burying his face in Mark’s chest, the close proximity still very much noticed by the flustered and annoyed Irishman. He felt the static of Anti's departure through the door, and knew that both entities were gone, leaving Mark and Jack chest to chest in a closet, wishing they could be anywhere else.

Jack couldn’t help biting his lip nervously, knowing exactly what the demons had been referring to. But Jack couldn’t bring himself to say it, couldn't handle the thought of ruining the friendship he'd built with Mark by telling him he liked him. He wouldn't be able to bare awkward silence and avoiding each other after months of friendly banter and dick jokes, casual touches and curling up together on the couch to watch movies. Mark was likewise silent, the feeling of his chest bumping Jack’s as he let out a long sigh startling Jack slightly before his deep, rich voice rang out, quiet in the silence between them.

"Jack, I have to tell you something."

The resigned, nervous sound of Mark's usually confident voice left dread clawing at Jack’s insides, looking up to try to meet Mark’s gaze head-on in the almost pitch black room.

"What is it, Mark?" he asked, voice equally quiet, fearing whatever had Mark so nervous. Silence again, the feeling of Mark shifting slightly from side to side, shifting from foot to foot like he did when he was nervous or unsure.

"I like you, Jack. I have for weeks. I didn't want to make you uncomfortable or ruin anything so I didn't tell you, but Dark knew. He's been threatening to tell you for weeks if I didn't. I'm sorry."

Jack is in a daze, the information churning in his brain slowly as he tries to make sense of it.

"Sorry for what?" he finally gets out, voice hushed, almost a whisper.

"For having a crush on you. For making things weird. For ruining everything." Jack could hear the sadness in Mark’s voice, his heart sinking at the sound even as it warmed with the admission. He lifted a hand blindly, finding Mark’s cheek and running a thumb over his cheekbone.

"Yeh didn't ruin anything, Mark. You made everything perfect."

And he leaned in to kiss him.


	47. Hiding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> this is for tumblr user buckykinz who asked for a friends to lovers where one of the boys is homeless but hides it from the other. I hope you like it hun and thank you for the request!! and I'm so freaking sorry for how long this dragged on, I would write a portion and then stop for a while and then write again, so it's definitely not my best work. I still hope you like it though!!

Something was wrong.

Jack knew it, knew it with every fiber of his being. Something was wrong, but he wouldn't say what.

He'd been friends with Mark for years, meeting him through friends of friends. He was bubbly and funny and kind, and they clicked instantly.

Even half a world away, Jack loved talking with Mark over Skype, or sending him memes and goofy selfies just to make him laugh. He may also have a very large crush on the American, but that was a detail he wasn't too keen on sharing with anyone but his close friend Felix.

But over the past few weeks, Jack had grown increasingly worried for his friend. Mark had mentioned moving out, sending pictures of boxes of old possessions he'd be selling and giving away to people who needed it. Jack had been surprised by the amount of stuff, but Mark had assured him that he wouldn't need all the bulky furniture in his new place, that he only needed some essentials and personal items.

In the coming weeks Skype calls with Mark were less frequent. Mark apologized when Jack asked, telling him about the job searches he'd been going on, regaling particularly funny moments in his interviews, like when he ended up spilling his water all over the front of his pants, or when one of the interviewers made funny expressions behind her boss's back as he droned on about 'the nonexistent work ethic of kids these days'.

Jack understood that Mark was busy, and accepted it. That didn't make him miss their conversations less, make him miss the American less.

Which led him to this moment, packing his bag with a bounce in his step as Jack got ready to go. A couple friends would be going to a con in California, giving Jack the perfect excuse to see Mark face-to-face and not only finally spend some quality time with his friend for the first time in maybe a year, but finally assuage this nagging fear that something wasn't quite right with Mark. He'd put this silly fear to rest and finally see his friend again, and everything would be fine.

-

_"Hey Jack! What's up?"_

"Mark! I'm here!"

_" 'Here'?"_

Jack has to repress a laugh, smile brighter as he heads out of the airport to find his Uber, grinning and waving to a woman with a sign with his name on it standing in front of a small black sedan.

"Yeah, in LA! Felix and a couple guys told me about this convention this week and I came down. I wanted to keep it a surprise for you!"

_"You're here!? Where are you, let me pick you up! Where are you staying?"_

"I already got a ride, thanks. I got a room at a hotel near the convention center."

_"Alright, awesome! What hotel? Me and Chica can come see you!"_

"Will they let her in?"

_"Depends on the hotel. Where are you staying?"_

Jack rattles off the name and address and he can see the happy grin on Mark's face in his mind's eye.

 _"We'll be right there!"_ Mark replies, his grin clear in his voice before Jack says goodbye, a grin on his face as he hops into the car and tells the woman the directions, soon sliding into the traffic in front of the airport in the direction of his hotel.

-

A firm knock pulls Jack from his bag, head snapping up and grinning widely as he hears Chica give a short bark outside the door. He almost runs to the door, grin wide as he throws it open, Mark's bright, smiling face the first thing he sees before he all but throws himself at him, Mark wobbling a bit as Jack’s arms encircle him and pull him close, Mark soon wrapping his arms around Jack to return the hug.

"Long time no see, Lucky Charms," Mark grins, still hugging him tightly as Jack chuckles and gives him another squeeze.

"Hey Mark. I missed yeh, man."

"Missed you too, Jack."

Jack would be happy to keep hugging him if it weren’t for the insistent nudging at his knees, Chica whining softly as she tries to wedge herself between the two. Jack grins, pulling back from the hug with a smile before crouching down to greet his other guest.

"Hey Chica, how's my favorite girl?" he grins, running his hands over her ears and head, the dog coming forward to lick him happily as he laughs before standing again.

"Come on in you guys," he smiles, standing aside to let them in before shutting the door behind him, Mark sitting at the edge of the large bed with Chica sitting obediently at his feet, his hand coming up to pet her idly between the ears.

"So you're going to Comic Con?"

"We're going to Comic Con."

"What? I don't have a ticket, Jack. They're all sold out."

Jack ducks his head to hide his grin as he heads to his bag, unzipping a pocket and pulling out two weekend passes, handing one to Mark.

"Happy early birthday, Markimoo."

Mark's jaw hangs open, staring down at the badge in his hand before looking up at Jack, wide-eyed and speechless.

"I remember yeh told me a few months back about how Thomas had gotten a booth but the tickets were already sold out when you went to get em. I was kinda glad yeh didn't get it, honestly, I've been keepin this a surprise for months now. Wouldn't want you having to spend money on something I already have for yeh."

"Jack, you really didn’t have to do this."

"Course not. But what kinda friend would I be if I didn't do something awesome for my best friend's birthday?" he grins, smile softening when he sees that Mark is getting a bit teary-eyed. He leans down and wraps him up in a hug, the American tightening his grip around him as he sniffs back tears.

Soon Mark composes himself, wiping his eyes and laughing wetly when Chica comes up to kiss his face, Mark running his hands through her fur with a grin.

"I was actually gonna ask if you could stay here with me. I thought it would be like a sleepover or somethin, gettin to hang out again," Jack grins a bit shyly, hoping Mark doesn’t think the request is dumb. But Mark agrees eagerly, asking if he should get his own room or stay here, Jack trying not to sound too eager when he asks him to stay with him. He's missed Mark immensely, and wants to spend as much time as he can with him while he's here.

Mark asks Jack to look after Chica while he goes to grab some stuff, telling him she's already eaten and gone to the bathroom beforehand, so she should be alright. Jack assures him that she's in safe hands, Mark grinning as he heads out of the hotel room again to grab some clothes from home. Jack plops down onto the bed, patting it until Chica comes up to lay down at his feet, docile as a lamb. Jack pets her lightly with his socked foot as he taps through the tv guide, ending up on an 80's movie while they wait for Mark’s return.

About twenty minutes later Mark knocks again, Chica’s head popping up and her tail wagging as she looks to the door. Jack hurries to open it, grinning as Mark smiles out at him from the hall, a backpack slung over his shoulder as he steps in, Jack shutting the door behind him.

The night is spent watching movies and playing games on their laptops, both men grinning and yelling animatedly as they play Don't Starve and The Forest, Chica laying over Mark’s lap and occasionally coming over to lick Jack’s face and snuggle against him.

They end up staying up until early in the morning, Jack going to buy dinner for them both and some food for Chica just in case Mark needs it. He gets back with footlong subs, chips, and a small pack of water, the men eating while they play, Jack unable to stop looking up at Mark’s wet hair, the other constantly pushing it from his face as he leans over his screen, laughing and making Jack laugh between bites. They both give Chica little bites from their sandwiches before Jack mentions the food he got her, Mark thanking him adamantly as Jack gets up to pour it into the bowl sitting beside the water bowl Mark brought in his bag.

Chica eats her dinner while the boys finish their's, Jack catching Mark frowning as he throws the trash away.

"Mark? Yeh okay?"

"Hm?" Mark asked, gaze rising from the floor to meet Jack’s eye.

"You okay? You looked kinda sad there."

Mark smiles, but it doesn't quite reach his eyes. "I'm fine, just tired. Do you want me to call down for a cot?"

"Nah, we can share a bed. It's big enough for all of us," Jack replies casually, trying not to let the butterflies in his stomach be known.

"Alright. When are we leaving for the con tomorrow?"

"9 am. No sleeping in for us!"

"Alright, awesome. I'll have ended to call Arin and Suzy and see of they can babysit Chica for me," Mark replies, Jack nodding along with a smile before heading over to his bag to grab some pajamas and a toothbrush.

"You do that, I'll be getting ready and finding a movie or something."

Mark agrees, rummaging around in his bag until he pulls out his cell phone, pulling out a leash and taking Chica out so she can go to the bathroom while he makes the call.

Jack takes a quick shower and brushes his teeth, his neon fringe hanging in his face and dripping on his nose as he spots and rinses his mouth. He finishes up and heads back into the room, plopping onto the left side of the bed, his unofficial half, as he grabs the remote and flicks through the channels. His mind wanders as he looks through the channels, thinking about how easy it's been to be with Mark again, how much fun they've been having. He thinks about his misty eyes when Jack had given him his badge, as I'd it were the greatest gift he'd ever received. He sighed, a smile on his face. Maybe he had been worrying about nothing. Maybe nothing was wrong. But even if Jack’s worry over Mark had been misplaced, he was happy to be with him now.

Mark came back a few minutes later with a smile on his face, Chica walking ahead of him and climbing up to plop down at the foot of the bed with a small huff, drawing a small laugh from Jack and Mark.

"I found Pacific Rim so I put that on."

Mark grins, hopping onto his side of the bed and toeing off his socks and shoes, pulling the covers over his legs. "Awesome. We should probably try to get some sleep once it’s over, though."

The next hour or so is spent in darkness, both men grinning and talking between mech fights and kaiju attacks. But eventually, sooner than either of them expected, they fall asleep, slouched against each other as the last scene plays.

-

The next day Jack wakes with his head against Mark's chest, an arm thrown over his stomach and their legs tangled together. He freezes, blushing up to his ears as he disengages from Mark’s loose grasp, unaware of Mark’s sleepy eyes peeking out at him from under dark lashes as he pulls away and heads to his bag, grabbing his clothes and stepping into the bathroom to get dressed for the day.

Jack goes out to grab breakfast to go, bringing back pancake breakfasts with large coffes for them both. It takes a bit of skill to her into the hotel room with the boxes and drink holder in one arm, but he does it, stepping in and shutting the door behind him as quietly as he can, turning around to find Mark already up, new clothes on and hair still messy.

"I brought pancakes and coffee," Jack smiles, Mark's sleepy smile brightening into a wide grin.

"Have I told you lately how amazing you are?" Mark and ski mock reverently, stepping forward to take the food from his hands as Jack grins back.

"I could always get used to hearin more about it," Jack smirks, both men plopping onto the bed to eat their large breakfasts, Mark going over to pour Chica some food from the bag Jack bought the night before.

"I have to drop Chica off with Arin and Suzy before we go, so I'll drive," Mark says between bites, Jack simply nodding as he chews his own food.

They all finish eating relatively quickly, the three heading out to Mark’s car and piling in, soon making the twenty minutes drive out to Arin and Suzy's, the radio playing Disney songs that Mark sang along to cheerfully, Jack laughing as he sang the parts he knew.

Soon enough the pulled up to the house, Mark going around to let Chica out before all,three headed up the walkway to the door, Mark leaning forward to ring the bell, his other hand holding Chica’s leash securely as they waited.

The door flew open, Suzy's smiling face greeting them as she stepped out to hug them both, greeting them as she hugged them each.

"Hey Mark!! I'm so glad to see you guys again. Jack! We missed you busdy, come inside. Arin's in the kitchen, we were just having breakfast."

They talked as they stepped inside and headed for the kitchen, Suzy bright and cheerful as ever even this early. They all headed to the kitchen, Arin grinning as he stood from the table to wrap them both up in a huge hug.

"Morning guys. Going out to Comic Con?"

"Yeah, Jack got us passes," Mark grinned, patting him on the back as Jack squeezed him back, unable to wipe the grin off his face as Arin hugged them both with each arm before stepping back with a smile.

"That's awesome, man. You guys staying all day?"

"Yeah, as long as we can. We'll come by at lunch to see Chica again and bring you guys something. And I'm taking you to dinner after the con," Mark grinned, Arin smiling as he shook his head.

"No need, man. Just have fun and tell us all about it when you get back."

Mark goes with Chica to take her for a quick walk and a bathroom break again, Arin waving Jack over to the table as he sits with Suzy, both of them smiling warmly at Jack as he sits.

"It's so good to have you back, Jack. When did you get in?"

"Yesterday. I called Mark and invited him and Chica to stay with me at the hotel, and it's been a blast."

Suzy's smile widens, both of them nodding along as she says 'I'm glad' at the same time Arin says 'that's good'. A short silence falls as Suzy stands, kissing Arin before mentioning grabbing the doggy bed and getting a spot set up for Chica and heading down the hall, Arin taking a long pull from his coffee mug before turning back to Jack, his usually jovial face serious.

"How's Mark? He's taking care of himself?"

Jack's caught off guard by the question, frowning in confusion before replying.

"I assume so. He hasn't mentioned anything. Why?"

Arin opens his mouth to answer but the sound of the front door opening draws his attention, eyes flitting behind Jack as he closes his mouth and smiles, the sound of Chica panting and her clacking nails along with Mark’s footfalls echoing in the quiet house.

"Hey Mark, Suzy's getting Chica’s bed ready in the other room."

"Alright, thank you. Come on Chica, let's go see Suzy!"

The sound of their footsteps grows fainter as they head down the hall, Jack turning his attention back to Arin.

He waits for Arin to finish what he had wanted to say, but instead he just gives the Irishman a smile, slapping a hand down on his shoulder as he stands from the table, mug in hand.

"Just take care of him, ok? Have a good time at the con."

He lifts his hand and walks away, leaving Jack even more confused as he sits alone in the kitchen of their home.

-

The con is just as packed as it usually is, Jack and Mark bumping shoulders often as they'rel pressed in on all sides by the crowd wherever they go. They have a blast despite it, looking over new game booths and tables in the artist alley. Eventually they find Tom's table, both grinning as they hurry toward the one familiar face in a sea of strangers.

"Tom! It's so good to see you again," Mark grins, pulling his brother into a big hug as soon as he steps up to him, his brother smiling as he hugs back.

"Good to see you too, Mark. And you too, Jack! Mark called me last night and told me you got him a badge, I really appreciate it."

"Of course, it was no problem at all," Jack smiles, both men going around to sit behind the table with Mark’s brother as a small group of fans comes up to look over his comics and talk to the artist.

"I'm gonna go grab some food, do you guys want anything specific?"

"Anything cheap and easy. Don't get the con food, they hike up the prices," Tom says between signing a couple comics. Mark chuckles, agreeing as Mark suggests burgers, Tom and Jack giving their orders and thanking Mark as he goes, soon lost in the sea of congoers.

Tom finishes the signings, thanking the small group for coming with a bright smile as they go, leaving the table empty except for him and Jack.

"Has Mark told you whats been happening?"

Jack's surprised by the question, looking over to find Tom still looking out at ache he busy con floor. Jack shakes his head even though Tom isn't looking at him, but he must see him in his peripherals because he continues.

"It's not my place to share his business, even if I want to. But I want to sincerely thank you for taking him in and for bringing him here. He needs a break, he needs something to keep his mind off of things. He's been working his ass off to find a good job, I know he has, but LA is busy and I remember how hard it was for me to find a job just a couple years ago. I haven't seen him in a while in person, and definitely not this happy. You did that for him, and I want to thank you for that."

Jack is somewhat shocked by the exposition, this being the most Tom has ever spoken to him a got once. But Jack nodded, even if he still doesn't know what is going on. Tom gives a got small smile and nods.

"I'm sure he'll tell you in his own time. Just be patient with him, he's stubborn as hell sometimes, but he cares a got out you. I doubt he'll keep this to himself for long. He just needs some time."

Jack nods again, and Tom's attention is pulled away by a fan, ending the conversation. Jack sits back and watches the people mill past, wondering what the hell is so big and important that everyone seems to know about Mark except him.

-

The day flies by, the conversation with Tom floating at the back of Jack's mind as they go out to a diner for dinner before going to pick up Chica from Arin and Suzy. They thank Mark for bringing them lunch earlier and the boys tell them both all about the con, the couple grinning throughout the story as Chica lays at Mark’s feet. They say goodbye with Chica in tow, Jack promising to bring them coffee and breakfast the next day as they head back out to Mark’s car and to the hotel room.

"It was so nice to get to see Tom again," Mark smiles, eyes on the road as he drives, Chica laying in the backseat like the good pup she is. Jack grins and nods, agreeing whole-heartedly.

"Definitely. And it was nice getting to spend time with the both of you. I've missed you, dude," Jack says, Mark's smile growing softer.

"I missed you too, man. I'm so happy you're here. Thank you so much for doing this for me, you don't know how much I appreciate it."

The rest of the car ride flies by with karaoke and laughter, Mark his usual animated, goofy self as they soon pull up to the hotel. Mark retrieves Chica from the backseat and they head up to their room. Mark drops off his wallet and goes into the bathroom to change into comfier clothes before taking Chica out to go potty, leaving Jack to shower and get ready for bed. He checks his phone for the first time in the past couple days, smiling as a couple messages from his friends blink up at him. One name pops out at him, and he taps on the name of one of his best friends.

**_Jack you potato I know you're there! stop drooling over Mark and answer your phone!_ **

_jesus Fe, can't you go one day without being up my ass?_

**_absolutely not!! where the hell have you been? I've been texting you since you told me you were coming over a couple days ago!_ **

Jack grimaced, immediately feeling bad for having ignored everyone else to spend time with Mark.

_sorry Fe, I just got caught up with being out here and the con and everything. I didn't mean to ignore you_

**_I'm not all that upset. not all of of are Mark "so beautiful he puts literally everyone else on the planet to shame" Fischbach_ **

_Felix shut up_

Jack is laughing as he sits on the bed, hunched over his phone as he texts his best friend besides Mark.

**_so are you guys gonna be able to make it to our gaming panel? or are you gonna be too busy being disgustingly adorable?_ **

_who says we can't do both?_

**_have you talked to Mark at all? about your not-so-subtle crush on him?_ **

Jack feels his face heated up immediately with a blush, grateful that Mark can't see his blush.

_I will when I'm ready Fe. maybe. I don’t know_

He can imagine Felix sighing at him from his phone, rolling his eyes at Jack’s response.

**_you know I love you but honestly sometimes you make me want to bash my head through a wall_ **

**_TELL HIM_ **

**_you love him you big sap, I don’t want too see you hiding this and pretending all your life_ **

Jack doesn’t know what to say to that, a wave of affection flooding him with how much Felix cares. He has such amazing friends.

**_alright, I'll stop hounding you about it for now, but please at least consider it. you don’t know what the outcome will be until you try. who knows, maybe something amazing will come out of it?_ **

_thanks fe_

**_anytime, jack. have a good night and we'll see you tomorrow! tell Mark I said hi!_ **

Jack says his goodbyes with a smile before setting his phone aside and putting on a movie. Mark knocks a few minutes later, and he let's them in, Mark smiling sheepishly and apologizing for forgetting the key Jack had grabbed for him earlier. He unclasps Chica from the leash and refills her food and water before toeing off his shoes and grabbing pajamas, heading to the bathroom as Chica comes up to lay across Jack’s legs while he sits back down against the headboard to watch tv.

It's quiet as Jack sits and watches tv, running light fingers between Chica’s ears as Mark showers in the bathroom. It's domestic and soft and Jack takes a second to enjoy it, the quiet humming echoing from the bathroom and the feeling of Chica breathing against him. He wishes it could always be this way, thoughts of waking to Mark’s bedhead and sleepy smile making his heart feel heavy. He focuses on the movie again before he gets too emotional, too caught up in loving someone who doesn't feel the same.

Mark comes out still dripping with a smile, rubbing the water from his hair with a hotel towel, looking all too soft and warm and pretty. Jack fists his hands in the sheets at under his fingers before he gets up and kisses that smile.

Mark puts the towel around his shoulders, coming around in flannel pants and an old t-shirt, and sits on the bed facing Jack. He bites his bottom lip, drawing his feet up and sitting criss-cross applesauce, fiddling nervously with the soft material of his pants.

"I have to tell you something, Jack. I've been hiding it from a lot of people, from you, and I just.. I still don't want to tell everyone yet, but I don't feel right hiding it from you. I know you can't do much to help me, if anything, and this isn't me trying to like, guilt you into helping me. I just hate hiding it from one of the closest people in my life besides my actual brother."

Mark's eyes are still not meeting Jack's, head bowed as he takes a deep breath.

"You know I lost my job. And that I've been looking for another, for more than one. I still have the freelance stuff, but it's not enough to take care of me and Chica. I.." he pauses, draws in another breath, and Jack can see his eyes shut tight as he breathes.

"I lost my apartment. I couldn't pay for it anymore. Me and Chica have just been couch crashing and sleeping in my car. Arin and Suzy know, I've stayed with them and few times. Tom too. They all wanted to take me in, but I don't want to put them out like toakeohat. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I did."

Jack's eyes are wide, sockets itchy as he holds back tears at toakeohathe sad, defeated look Mark wears.

"I just couldn't hide it from you. I'm sorry."

Jack waits to make sure Mark is done, not wanting to interrupt before leaning down and in, so he can see him.

"Mark, yeh have nothing to be sorry for. I'm glad you told me."

He doesn't hesitate to take Mark’s hand in his own, both pale hands holding Mark’s, pulling warm eyes up to meet his gaze.

"I'm not letting you live like that, do you hear me? I still have a few days here, and the day after tomorrow we're getting you an apartment."

"Jack, you don't have to -"

"I want to," Jack says immediately, no hesitation. Mark swallows, looking on the verge of crying again.

"Jack, you've already done so much, I don’t want you to waste so much money on me."

"It's not a waste. You're not a waste. Besides, it wouldn't be a waste if it were my apartment too."

Mark frowns, obviously confused as Jack's stomach flips, equal parts nervous and excited before continuing.

I was gonna wait a couple weeks to tell yeh, but I got promoted. I'm moving to LA, and you can move in with me."

Mark's eyes are wide, obviously shocked by the news. He looks like he wants to protest but Jack continues.

"And if you still feel guilty about it, you can help me around the house while we look for a job for yeh. I know my work is hiring, and I bet we can get you a job in game development."

Mark is definitely teary-eyed by this point, swallowing past the lump in his throat and the dampness of his eyes.

"Jack, how am I ever gonna pay you back for this?"

"You don’t have to. As long as yer happy and safe, I'm more than happy."

Mark smiles, the tears finally slipping down his face. Jack smiles back, surprised he hasn't started crying too. Before Jack can say anything else Mark suddenly lurches forward, catching Jack off guard as his lips crash against his own, freezing Jack in his spot on the bed before his eyes fall shut and he leans in to kiss him back.

He's breathless when Mark finally pulls back, eyes still shut as his forehead rests against Jack's.

"Sorry. I've really wanted to do that for a long time."

"Fuckin hell."

Mark chuckles, eyes fluttering open and meeting Jack’s gaze shyly, face still tinted pink.

"So.. I didn't mess this up? Are we okay?"

"More than okay. We're perfect," Jack smiles, moving his hands until one hand holds Mark's, their fingers slotting together perfectly as they smile like saps.

They talk a little while longer, hands clasped and knees touching. They sit back happier, leaning against each other as they watch a movie, Mark's hand wrapped around Jack and holding him close. Mark turns the volume low when it gets late, saying something about going to bed before Jack grabs the towel still around Mark’s neck, pulling him in for kisses in the dark  efore they fall asleep, wrapped in each other's arms.

The next day they wake a little later than usual, spending the morning kissing in warm morning light until they finally pull each other from the bed and head to the con, dropping Chica with Suzy and Arin. They give Mark and Jack matching smirks, Mark chuckling as Jack prays his blush isn't too noticeable, not sure how the hell they know something happened between the two.

They get to the con and meet up with Felix, a game developer and old friend of Jack's, the same one he works for now. He grins and hugs Jack tight, patting him on the back before doing the same with Mark.

"Finally, Jesus. Nice hickey, Jack."

"What?!" Jack asks, his voice raising in pitch as he slaps a hand over the juncture between shoulder and neck, pulling his collar up to hide the mark while Felix laughs, obviously delighted.

The three talk, Felix hiring Mark immediately when they tell him about the predicament, the plan for Jack and Mark's future.

The day is light and warm and Jack can't believe how happy he is. Mark’s hand finds his and their fingers twine easily, and when Jack looks over Mark is smiling, too.


	48. Lust For Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> for frozen-in-the-tardis, who asked for an angsty, cute soulmate au with a happy ending!! thank you for the prompt and for liking my writing so much, I appreciate it so much!! I hope you like this hun!! and bless my love buslimpan for the angst, because I had NO IDEA what I was gonna write for this one until she gave me the idea. love you so much hun, and thank you again so much!!

Mark still remembers the first time he felt his soulmate, the pull of his heartstrings and the emotions and thoughts that weren’t his own. He was a teenager, senior year of high school, past the age most people felt something from their soulmate. He had begun worrying that maybe he didn't have one, that he may never have someone who was his soulmate as the people around him began pairing up, one by one. But then, one night, it happened.

He shot up, suddenly awake as fear seized his heart, making it hammer hard against his chest. He was sweating, eyes wide and disoriented in the cool night, before the feeling disappeared just as suddenly as it had come, leaving Mark disoriented and confused, unable to fall back asleep for a long time.

The next morning he shambled into the kitchen for breakfast, eyes barely open as he made his way to the cupboard to grab a box of cereal, Tom already eating at the table, his step mom making coffee at the counter. She turned to wish him good morning but paused as soon as she saw him, obviously exhausted as he flopped into his seat with a box or Cheerios.

"Mark, you look terrible! Didn't you get any sleep?"

Mark couldn't help but yawn hugely, eyes struggling to stay open as he responded.

"Not really. I woke up in the middle of the night really freaked out for some reason, and it took me a long time to get back to bed."

She paused, mug still in hand as she leaned against the counter, a thoughtful look on her face.

"And it wasn't a bad dream? Just a sudden, intense feeling out of nowhere with no rhyme or reason?"

"Yeah," Mark yawned, rubbing his eyes tiredly.

"Honey, I think it was your soulmate."

Mark sat up immediately, tired eyes flying open to settle on his mother's smiling face.

"What?!"

"The same thing happened with your father and I. I felt this sudden, unexplainable pull in my chest, and this strong feeling of wonder and infatuation, even though I wasn't looking at anyone, just down at my music player. I looked up and there he was, and the feeling doubled. That's how I knew."

Mark was speechless, confusion and hope mixing, leaving him floundering for words.

"I thought that only happens with people who are close, who are about to meet?"

"It happens at different times for different people, honey. Did you feel anything else afterward?"

"... A little scared, confused. I thought it was just me."

"It might have been them, honey. Focus right now, okay? Do you feel something? Some little emotion that you can't explain, that doesn't make sense?"

Mark paused, searching his feelings and emotions before a small feeling caught his attention, like a small fire in his veins.

"It's like.. adrenaline. But not mine. It's a feeling of wanting to get up and move, to do something amazing."

His mother grinned, eyes sparkling with unshed tears.

"That's them, hun."

Mark tried to push back the feeling of tears prickling his eyes, standing and hurrying to hug his mom tight as relief flooded his body, relief that he had someone out there, that he wasn't alone.

-

From then on, Mark was more at peace than he ever had been. Whenever he felt lonely or sad, he just searches within himself for that little spark, that feeling of hope and a lust to live life well that had settled itself in his chest. His soulmate was out there somewhere, probably skydiving or bungee jumping with how eager they were to go out and live. It spurred Mark on to make a better life for himself, wanting to have a life his soulmate would be proud of when they finally met.

He had made friends all over the world, had travelled and lived a life he was proud of. So when his friend Felix had called Mark to meet one of his closest friends, Mark had agreed, packing up and flying out to England the next day.

What he didn't expect was finding Felix and Marzia with their own bags packed, waiting patiently and smiling up at him as he stepped into the terminal.

"Hey Mark! Hope you're alright with going back on a plane."

"Why? Aren't we going to your apartment?"

"Nope! Jack's in Ireland, we're going out there to see him and his family."

"Alright. Are we staying in Ireland with them then?" Mark asked, ignoring the strange little blip his heart had when Felix had mentioned his friend's name.

"I booked us a couple hotel rooms, I wouldn't want to impose on Mr. and Mrs. McLoughlin."

"Alright. So Ireland, huh? Does Jack know we're coming?"

"Nope! I told him I'd be back soon the last time I visited, but I didn't give any specifics. I also wanted to keep you a surprise. I think he'd like you, though."

"I hope so," Mark smiled, a bit nervous to be going off to a totally different country to see someone he'd never met before. He hoped they'd get along.

The flight to Ireland wasn't half as long as the one from the US to Britain, the three stepping out into the small Irish airport a couple hours after getting on in London.

They were met by a small, older woman who smiled warmly as soon as she saw Felix and Marzia, drawing them both into a hug.

"Nice to see you again, Mrs. McLoughlin. How's everyone doing?"

"Good, no complaints. Malcolm's with Jack. Who's this?" she asks, seemingly just noticing Mark standing beside Felix.

"Mark Fischbach, friend of Felix and Marzia," he introduces himself with a smile, stepping forward to shake her hand. "They wanted to introduce me to Jack. They've told me a little about him, and I've been wondering when I'd finally be able to meet him face to face."

Mrs. McLoughlin’s face shifts, a polite smile masking something, possibly confusion. She nods, saying 'of course' before bustling off ahead of them all, words spilling out quickly as she asks about their accommodations, how long they'll be visiting. Felix steps up and talks with Mrs. McLoughlin as he carries his and Marzia's travel bags, Mark pulling his along behind him as he walks along with Marzia and the others, content with staying silent as they head to Mrs. McLoughlin’s car. She insists on driving them to the hotel to drop off their stuff and doesn't take no for an answer, quickly getting them to the hotel where they get their keys and drop off their bags, soon back in the car and on their way to visit Jack.

Mark is confused as they drive into a hospital parking lot, pulling up to a spot reserved 'for the McLoughlin family'. He wonders if Jack or members of his family work for the hospital, knowing that Mrs. McLoughlin mentioned he had siblings, and they had husbands and wives and children. He's silent as they head to the entryway and into an elevator, up near the top of the large building, where people have single rooms, for more serious conditions. He remembers staying in a room similar to these not so long ago, when he drank too much and found out too late that the alcohol didn't agree with his system so much so that it almost killed him. They walk down bright white halls until they reach a room near the end of the hall, Mrs. McLoughlin turning to smile back at them a bit sadly before opening the door.

When Mark sees Jack for the first time, he feels his breath leave him in one long gust, as if the air was punched out of his lungs. His heart does a hard thump in his chest, resuming it's beat a bit quicker than before, and he knows without a shadow of a doubt that he's met his soulmate.

Jack is pale, green fringe faded over thick, dark brows, dark circles ringing long lashes. He looks peaceful, sleeping in his bed, a man who looks a few years older pausing his strumming of a well-loved guitar to look up at the door as their group steps in one after the other.

"Malcolm, this is Mark. Mark, this is Malcolm and Jack."

Mark nods, shaking Malcolm's hand with a small smile, still shaken by the fact that his soulmate is sitting just a couple feet away.

 "Pleased to meet you both," he gets out, Malcolm smiling back with a nod before Mark steps back, unsure what to do with himself as he tries not to stare openly at the young man in the hospital bed.

"Would it be rude to ask what's wrong? He looks pretty healthy," Mark asks, Mrs. McLoughlin giving another smile tinged with sadness.

"It was an accident, a few years ago now. He was driving with a couple friends and they got in a crash. Sean hadn't been wearin a seat belt, it was broken, and he flew out onto the road, hit his head. Fractured his skull, along with a couple broken bones and some roadrash that healed up. They did surgery, he was all healed, but he hasn't woken up."

Mark swallowed back the tightness of his throat, looking away as Mrs. McLoughlin dabbed at misty eyes before he spoke, gaze firmly planted on Jack.

"How long has it been?"

"Since he was a teenager. About four years now."

Mark's heart sank at the answer, silence filling the room before Malcolm stood, mentioning heading back home to see his wife. Mrs. McLoughlin smiled and kissed his cheek, Felix, Marzia, and Mark all saying quiet goodbyes as he picked up his guitar and headed out the way they'd come in.

Soon all of them sat in chairs at either side of Jack’s bed, Felix leaning over to take Jack’s hand in his own, his mother doing the same with the other. Mark wished he could do the same, banishing the thought quickly. He was still a stranger to Jack and his family, he didn't have that privilege.

Felix spoke to Jack like he was awake, smiling easily as he introduced Jack to Mark. Mark had to refrain from waving, saying a polite hello to the comatose man a few feet away.

Felix spoke again, telling Jack about the flight from London to Ireland, laughing about a baby that had been staring at Mark all throughout the flight.

"It's easy to see why though, Mark's so pretty it's unfair. 10/10 would bang."

Marzia nodded sagely, smirking over at Mark as his face colored in embarrassment, laughing as Mrs. McLoughlin giggled, squeezing her son's hand as she laughed.

Felix grinned, looking Mark over before beginning to describe his features to Jack.

"He's pretty as hell, man. Not as pretty as you of course, but pretty close. He has warm brown eyes and this ridiculous jaw, it could cut diamond it's that sharp. He's tan, tanner than any of us, and he's got this swoopy thing going with his hair, which is black and very soft. He also smells amazing."

"What are you trying to do Felix, set us up on a date?"

"Why not? I need to look out for my boys," Felix grinned, and Mark didn’t miss the small squeeze he gave Jack’s hand as he said it before standing.

"Have you eaten recently, Mrs. McLoughlin? I was gonna grab us all some food from the cafeteria."

"Thank you, Felix. Marzia, Mark, can you stay with Jack while we grab some lunch?"

"Sure," Marzia smiled.

"Of course," Mark nodded.

Mrs. McLoughlin smiled, looking back to Jack before heading to his side and picking up his hand, kissing the knuckles lightly before following Felix out into the hall, the door shutting behind them both with a soft _click_.

Marzia stood to take the seat Felix had been in, smiling as she nodded toward Mrs. McLoughlin’s seat, Mark moving to the vacated chair somewhat hesitantly.

"What's wrong, Mark?"

"Nothing."

Marzia looked him over, obviously not convinced. A small smile curled her lips, her hand coming to hold Jack’s.

"He's the one, isn't he?"

Mark couldn't help but look to Jack before his eyes settled back on Marzia, giving a small nod.

"I knew as soon as you saw him," she nodded, leaving Mark in awe. He shook his head dazedly, unsure what to say.

"I've been able to feel him, all this time."

Marzia nodded, staying quiet as she waited for Mark to continue.

"I think I felt the crash. I remember senior year I woke up in the middle of the night scared and confused, and I couldn't sleep all night. And then after that night, it was this feeling of.. determination. I always thought my soulmate was an adrenaline junkie, because there was always this feeling of wanting to live, to do something important and meaningful."

Marzia smiled, eyes flitting to Mark’s hand, which had found Jack’s sometime during his answer. Mark flushed, letting his hand go reluctantly.

He spoke with Marzia and Jack idly as they waited for Felix and Mrs. McLoughlin, telling them about Chica, his recent trip to see his mother and brother in Ohio. He found himself speaking to Jack a lot, telling the story of adopting Chica, regaling some stories about his childhood.

Time passed quickly, and soon Felix and Mrs. McLoughlin came back in with trays piled high with fruit, sandwiches, chips, and drinks. Marzia and Mark stood to move back to their original places but Felix and Mrs. McLoughlin waved them off, telling them to sit back down as Felix handed out food.

They ate and talked, Mark telling more about himself to Mrs. McLoughlin between bites, feeling somewhat obligated to do so. She smiled and nodded politely between bites, her twinkling laugh music to his ears when he told particularly funny or embarrassing stories.

They had all just finished eating when a sudden beep startled them, Mark turning immediately to the heart monitor that had kept a steady rhythm, now a little faster than before.

"It's alright, it happens. It's probably a nightmare," Mrs. McLoughlin reassured him, leaning forward to squeeze her son's hand.

The rhythm stayed consistent, the four soon going back to their conversation, Mark being sure to talk to Jack just as much as the others. It wasn't until he felt something brush the hand still resting on the bed by Jack that he stopped, the room silent as Mark turned to find the source of contact.

_"Mm."_

Mark swore everyone in the room was holding their breath besides Jack, whose head turned from one side to the other, thick brows drawn together in discomfort or confusion before dark lashes slowly fluttered open.

Mark's breath caught as eyes the deepest and most beautiful blue he'd ever seen squinted out at them all, Jack McLoughlin looking sleepy, confused, and utterly adorable.

He cleared his throat, swallowing before speaking, voice raspy and beautiful.

"What's happening?"

Mrs. McLoughlin, who had slowly stood from her seat with teary eyes, lurched forward, a small sob shaking her form as she hugged her son around the shoulders, Jack reaching a hand up slowly to pet her hair.

"Ma? What's wrong?"

"Holy shit," Felix breathed, eyes wide, standing beside Marzia, who covered her mouth, obviously holding back tears.

Jack looked over at his friends before looking around, obviously unsure where he was or what was happening before his eyes settled on Mark, his whole expression changing immediately as brown eyes met blue. His brows relaxed, eyes widening and pursed lips going slack, blinking up at Mark like he was seeing the most beautiful thing in the world. Mark’s chest was warm with affection and adoration, though he couldn't tell if it was his own or Jack’s.

"Hi," Jack breathed, eyes glued firmly to Mark, who couldn't pull his eyes away from Jack’s if he tried.

"Hi."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [pullout couch by stampeter](http://adorabloodthirstykitty.tumblr.com/post/158333254423/holobeam-hey-i-put-out-this-album-check-it-out) continues to be an inspiration, I was listening to it on repeat while writing this one and I think it fits, especially the angst!! I seriously love it so much, and one of the band members actually messaged me at like 1 am this morning thanking me for reblogging it in the first place, it was so freaking cool. I definitely recommend checking them out, they’re on instagram, facebook, twitter, and youtube, and this song is amazing  
>  title from 'Lust For Life' by Iggy Pop


	49. Green-Eyed Monster

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey sweethearts!! it's been a while huh? well, with this fic group thing, anyway. I've been in a bad anxiety/depression thing the past few days, so I asked for you lovelies to send me requests from [this](http://adorabloodthirstykitty.tumblr.com/post/161228812163/send-me-a-pairing-and-a-number-and-ill-write-you) post! thank you to everyone who sent requests, and if you'd like to send one be sure to write it in the comments here or in an ask on my tumblr!  
> anyway, the request was "Wait a minute. Are you jealous?" for AntiMark from my lovely friend assbutt-of-the-readers!

Anti isn't one for going out. But when alcohol is involved, he's much more willing.

Mark thanks the girl at the bar as she hands off their drinks with a smile and a wink, heading back to their secluded little spot at the back corner. Even in a dark corner of a standard little bar, Anti commands attention, his neon eyes sharp and bright in the low light as he watches Mark intently, like a snake stalking prey.

Mark smiles as he hands off his drink, Anti's eyes flickering toward the girl before giving a small nod of thanks to Mark, taking a small pull from his whiskey.

"That girl was awfully friendly."

Mark looks up as he sits, taking a long sip of his water.

"Yeah, she was nice."

"She was also pretty much flashin yeh her boobs."

Mark grimaces a bit, nodding.

"Yeah, I noticed."

"Yeh seemed to be havin a nice little conversation with her at the bar," Anti hums, taking another drink. Mark frowns, surprised that Anti even cares.

"I guess. She was giving me recommendations on drinks. I told her I probably wouldn't be trying any of them, because of the allergy. She felt a bit bad."

"Mm."

"And she was probably flirting, but I just kind of ignored it."

"M-hm."

"Are you okay? Did I do something?"

"No."

"Why are you giving such short answers then?"

"Because I don't want to talk? Because my replies don't need to be all that long? Take yer pick, Mark."

He takes another drink, tipping the glass back and downing the last of his whiskey, and when he sets his glass back on the table his eyes flit back toward the bar, and more specifically, the girl Mark had been talking to. And then it clicks.

"Wait a minute. Are you jealous?"

Anti's eyes flick back over to him, his face schooled into a mask of indifference.

"Jealousy is a stupid human emotion," he quips, eyes sliding away from Mark and out over the rest of the bar.

"That's not a no."

Anti huffs out of his nose, an annoyed little puff of as his eyes find Mark's before flitting away again. That's as much answer as he needs, and they both know it.

"You know I'm not interested, right?"

Anti doesn't answer, his eyes resolutely looking away from Mark even as he leans closer to him over the table.

Mark takes Anti's hand in his own, threading their fingers and squeezing lightly, and finally Anti looks back.

"I'm yours," he smiles, and Anti is still, staring at Mark like he's something new, something amazing. He blinks, and squeezes Mark's hand back, and when he turns away again Mark swears he sees a hint of a smile cross his lips, just for a second.


	50. Still

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> this was for an anon who asked for AntiDark and the prompt "Do you... well... I mean... I could give you a massage?"

He feels his cheeks burn as the sentence falls from his mouth, stuttered and unsure. Ruby eyes turn to meet his gaze and he returns it, even when he wants to crawl into a hole in shame. He sounds like a fucking human, a stuttering mess, but he has no idea what the fuck to do.

Dark breathes out a sigh, his gaze shifting forward, away from Anti. Anti watches his back rise and fall with his breathing, his body otherwise very still.

"What are you waiting for? Come take my clothes off." He meets Anti's gaze and smirks, and Anti feels some of the lingering anxiety in his stomach and chest disappear as he steps toward the bed Dark is sprawled out on.

This isn't the first time someone got a hit in on either of them, but it is the first poisoning. Anti doesn't want to think about what could have happened if he hadn't been there, hiding in the shadows and behind the scenes as Dark did the talking. Dark's always been the mouthpiece, the persuader. But apparently that wasn't quite enough, because the paranoid son of a bitch he met with poisoned him. Anti still remembers very clearly the sound of the scuffle over his earpiece, running for the dining room and finding two men all but dragging a twitching Dark toward a back room.

He'd killed them all without a second thought, every guard and suit, and dragged Dark out to a waiting car.

And now here they are, in a shabby hotel room in the bad part of town, with Dark almost completely immobile.

Anti sighs as he comes to crouch on the bed beside him, his suit jacket thrown to the side when Anti pulled him in. Dark is still beneath him, his arms cushioning his chin, his body stretched out across the length of the bed. It's been a couple hours since he was first poisoned, but apparently the shit is still lingering, the only movement he's been able to make on his own the slightest, slowest turn of head. Anti had to shuffle his limbs and body into a more comfortable position, Dark unusually silent throughout the process. Anti thinks he might be blaming himself for getting poisoned, which is bullshit, but he doesn't say anything, instead moving beside his waist and grabbing his side.

"I'm turnin yeh on yer back so I can unbutton the shirt. I'm gonna start with yer torso and work my way out to the limbs. I wanna make sure yeh can breathe easily before I get to the extremities, alright?"

"You know, if someone had told me you'd be taking off my shirt and feeling me up, I would have thought it would be a bit sexier than this."

"Excuse me for carin more about yer ability to breathe than yer constant head-on, asshole."

"Your accent sounds thicker than usual," Dark points out, bright eyes meeting his before Anti looks away.

"Shuddup."

Anti unbuttons his shirt, struggling a bit to pull it out from under him but eventually tossing it aside, straddling his hips and hovering over him as he stares idly, mapping out a plan in his head.

"You look more like you're planning on dissecting me than ravaging me."

"I'm not ravaging you, I'm tryin to get the blood flow back to yer body and relax yer muscles."

"Says the guy in my lap."

"If anything I'm hovering over yer lap," Anti replies, scooting forward on his knees and starting with his chest, unsure exactly what the fuck he's doing but hoping it helps.

"Do you plan on being in my lap in the near future?" he asks, a hopeful little inflection making Anti almost smile.

"Why? It's not like yeh can feel anything anyway."

"Is that a yes?"

"It's a 'shut up and let me work', yeh sex addict."

"That didn't sound like a no," Dark smirks, and Anti actually does crack a smile, though it's small, as he slaps his shoulder lightly and gets back to work.


	51. Heathers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this request was from assbutt-of-the-readers, who asked for darkjack and the prompt “Have I entered an alternate universe or did you really just crack a smile for me?”  
> this is based on my Heathers AU that I've been planning for a while, which I hope to write, finish, and post soon!

“Dark?”

Dark is silent as he grips the steering wheel, eyes fixed on the road.

“You didn’t really think I’d let those assholes get away with that shit, did you?”

Jack feels anger sitting heavy in his chest, burning his lungs and throat.

“You shot them! You killed them!”

“They hurt you!”

Jack feels his face darken at the memory, the scathing words and whispers following him down the halls the day before.

“You don’t kill people for starting a stupid rumor, Dark!”

“It wasn’t just for that! They had nothing to offer the world but date rape and AIDS jokes! They’re garbage, Sean, and they were bound to hurt someone, hurt you, if someone didn’t stop them!”

“Just because they’re assholes doesn’t make it right!”

Dark presses down further on the gas, driving away from the woods, away from the bodies of two of their former classmates and the police that found them there.

“I told you I’d do anything for you. I told you we would get them back. I meant it, Sean.”

Jack feels tears beading along his lashes, his hands still shaking as he screams at his boyfriend over the roar of the motor of his shitty little car.

“You told me they were blanks! ‘Ich lüge’ bullets, I’m so fucking stupid,” Jack mutters, and he smiles with tears in his eyes, a deranged, incredulous smile, feeling terrible and idiotic for ever trusting Dark, for letting Dark put a gun in his hand and shoot the local football star, killing him like an animal alone and afraid in the woods.

“Have I entered an alternate universe or did you really just crack a smile for me?”

Jack keeps shaking his head, his fingers latching into his hair as the tears finally come down in rivulets down his cheeks.

“I can’t fucking believe you. I can’t believe how fucking stupid I was for ever believing in you.”

“Sean-”

“Let me out. I want out.”

“Sean, we’re in the middle of-”

“Pull over.”

“Just let me-”

“No! Let me out or I’ll fucking jump out, let me the fuck out, Dark!” he screams, hitting his shoulder with his fist. Dark grimaces as he slows the car and pulls onto the side of the road, Jack unbuckling his seatbelt and all but throwing himself out of the car, slamming the door shut behind him.

“Jack, please.”

“No. I’m done. We’re done. I never want to see you again. Get the fuck away from me.”

“Sean-”

“Go! Get the fuck away from me!” he yells, face red and damp with tears, his brows pulled down in a furious scowl. Dark swallows, looking something close to hurt, heartbroken, before his features change, closing off as his brows settle low over his dark eyes.

He doesn’t say a word, turning to put the car back in gear and driving away, leaving Jack tear-stained, bitter, and sick with guilt on the side of the road.


	52. Green-Eyed Monster pt 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> this is for an anon who asked for AntiDark and the prompt “Is there a reason you’re naked in my bed?”

It takes a while, but soon Dark's entire body is massaged, even the palms of his hands and the soles of his feet. Anti washes his hands in the bathroom, rolling his neck as he dries them off. He tries not to think about the soft looks Dark had given him as he pushed blood back through his veins, as he brought feeling back to his body. Dark was quiet, aside from the occasional suggestive quip here and there, and so was Anti. It was quiet, and calm, and a bit more sentimental than Anti would have liked. It was a moment Anti thinks will stay with the both of them, when they allow themselves to get softer, sentimental as they patch each other up or lay in bed on days sleep escapes him.

He takes a breath and steps out of the bathroom, and immediately sighs.

"Is there a reason you're naked in my bed?"

He makes sure to only look at Dark's face, feeling incredibly tired in whatever 'soul' he may or may not have.

Dark smirks, leaning up on his elbows as he gives a little shrug with one bare shoulder.

"I was told I'd have you in my lap. Just being prepared."

"You must be losing yer hearing in yer old age," Anti hums, coming to the edge of the bed and tossing the sheet over his body, Dark giving a childish pout that is far too innocent for the situation.

"But I was so good! You said I'd get a surprise!"

"I said you might get one. And I was leaning more toward cuddling or ice cream, not that," Anti replies, motioning toward his now covered crotch.

Dark's pout remains, if not growing more exaggerated.

"But it took me so long to get them off! I did this for nothing?"

"Looks like it."

Dark drops back onto the bed, his arms crossed over his chest as he pouts and grumbles up at the ceiling.

"Does that mean yeh don't want ice cream?"

"I didn't say that."

Anti feels a smile threatening to pull at his face, shaking his head as he calls room service and asks for some, getting chocolate and brownie for Dark while he sticks with cookie dough. He looks over at Dark's body still sprawled over the bed, shaking his head almost fondly.

"Get yer underwear back on and we can cuddle."

Dark mumble-grumbles but does as he's told, Anti's attention focusing on finding a movie while Dark dresses. He hears him shift onto the mattress behind him, turning to find him sitting under the blankets, arms stretched toward him and pouting lightly.

"Yer such a fuckin baby," Anti smirks, standing and heading for the head of the bed, plopping beside Dark and allowing himself to be pulled into a bear hug.

"I was poisoned! I could have died."

Anti doesn't answer, scooting to lean against his chest as they wait for their ice cream, Dark's fingers drawing idle shapes along Anti's arms and their legs curling together.


	53. Lifetime

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> this is for red-loveroseseveryday on Tumblr (who has been such a sweetheart to me, I can't express how thankful I am) who asked for AntiDark 47. "No one needs to know."  
> this is based on a headcanon me and gg were talking about a couple days ago! domestic antidark will always be our jam, and the two binging lifetime movies and yelling at horror movies is so cute, I had to use it. I'm still not happy about the sudden ending but I couldn't think of anything, sorry!

_"No one needs to know."_

"Yeah, especially not the dude she's dating."

"I'm sure he won't mind."

"He seems like a chill guy. I'm sure he's not waiting to kill them right now."

"Of course not, he's very mature. You can tell because of the button ups he constantly wears."

"Definitely. And the possessive, jealous behavior is totally normal."

"Everyone follows their significant other without them knowing every once in a while."

"It's a sign of love," Anti nods sagely, trying not to laugh.

Ever since Anti's discovered the majesty of made for tv dramas he's been hooked, soon dragging Dark to the couch to watch them with him any chance he can get. It's become his new favorite hobby, and while Dark doesn't get as into the dramas as Anti does, he loves watching them with him. He loves the banter they share as they cuddle on the couch, Anti curled up under his arm or Dark laying across the couch, his head in Anti's lap while he combs his fingers through his hair, scratches idly at his scalp and twirls his hair between his fingers. It's nice, and Dark loves it.

**Author's Note:**

> thank you to all the lovely, kind, adorable people who've sent a request. if you have a request of your own please send an ask to my tumblr adorabloodthirstykitty.tumblr.com/ask

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Слепой глаз](https://archiveofourown.org/works/8189726) by [Viallen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Viallen/pseuds/Viallen)




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